This Raaz actor vanished from Bollywood, now lives in the hills and runs a farmstay

She was once a familiar face in Bollywood, best remembered for her role in the 2002 horror hit Raaz and its popular song Aapke Pyaar Mein. After stepping away from the film industry, the actor chose a quieter life far from the spotlight. She now lives amid nature, runs a farmstay and has built a new identity around slow living, food and the outdoors.Can you guess which actor we're talking about?The actor is Malini Sharma, who rose to fame as a model before making her mark on television and films. Along with appearing in popular music videos, she starred in the early-2000s TV show CATS and went on to play a memorable role in Raaz (2002), alongside Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea.Today, Sharma's life looks very different from her days in front of the camera. Away from Mumbai's film circles, she has built a quieter existence in the Sahyadri Hills, in Maharashtra, where she runs a farmstay, grows vegetables, welcomes guests and works on her venture, The Slow Local. From modelling to RaazSharma began her career as a model and gained attention through music videos. She featured in Bombay Vikings' popular song Kya Soorat Hai and later appeared in Mika Singh's Saawan Mein Lag Gayi Aag.Her growing popularity eventually led her to television. She became part of CATS, the early-2000s series that also featured Nafisa Joseph and Kuljeet Randhawa. Her biggest Bollywood break came with Vikram Bhatt's horror film Raaz in 2002, which became a major box-office success.Although Sharma had a supporting role, her appearance made an impact. She was particularly remembered for the song Aapke Pyaar Mein, which remains closely associated with the film. Around the same time, Sharma was married to actor Priyanshu Chatterjee, known for films including Tum Bin and Dil Ka Rishta. Their marriage later ended in divorce.Why did Malini Sharma move away from acting?Sharma's departure from Bollywood was not necessarily a dramatic exit. In fact, she has suggested that she simply wanted to explore a different path.In 2002, she reportedly pulled out of the film Encounter shortly before shooting began. According to an earlier India Today report, Sharma had started thinking about working behind the camera after spending years as a model and actor.She subsequently became far less visible in mainstream entertainment. However, she did not disappear completely. Instead, she began creating a new career around food, crafts, local products and a slower lifestyle.Sharma's new chapter took shape through The Slow Local, a project she started nearly a decade ago.The initiative began with locally produced food, crafts, workshops and pop-up events in Mumbai's Versova. Over time, it expanded to include homemade bread, coffee, granola, jams, peanut butter and oils, among other products.Sharma also organised children's workshops and was involved with activities involving plants, ceramics, crochet and other handmade crafts.Eventually, the project moved beyond the city and into the countryside.Malini Sharma's farm life in the SahyadrisSharma now runs a farmstay in the Sahyadri Hills, roughly two hours from Pune. She grows vegetables on the property and uses farm produce to prepare food for visitors.She has shared glimpses of the farm through The Slow Local's social media pages, including the realities of trying to grow enough vegetables to supply meals for guests.The property is surrounded by trees, many of which were already growing on the land when Sharma acquired it. She has mentioned trees such as arjun, harad, kokum and palash, along with shikakai and other plants.Here's a video shared by Malini Sharma:Rather than clearing the entire property, Sharma has chosen to leave part of the natural forest untouched.She has described the area as their "own little forest" and said she does not want to disturb the habitat on the mountain.Her aim appears to be to create a place where visitors can eat food grown locally, spend time outdoors and take a break from the pace of city life.Sharma appears to have moved to the farm around 2020. In a 2025 post about a visit to Maharashtra's Kaas Plateau, she mentioned that she had discovered the place around four years earlier, after moving to the farm.She has also occasionally responded to fans who recognise her as the actor from Raaz.When one follower asked if she was indeed the same Malini Sharma who appeared in the film, she confirmed her identity. Her social media interactions have offered fans occasional glimpses into her personal and professional life, even though she has largely stayed away from interviews.Back in front of the camera after 23 yearsSharma eventually returned to the screen — but this time on her own terms.She launched The Slow Local Diaries on Instagram, documenting her life at the farm. The project marked her return to appearing on camera more than two decades after Raaz.In the introductory video, Sharma spoke directly to those who had wondered what had happened to her.The video was deliberately different from her old Bollywood appearances. There was no elaborate styling or scripted performance. Instead, she presented herself as she is today, surrounded by the environment she has built for herself.Even the music offered a link to her past, with Aapke Pyaar Mein from Raaz featuring in the video.What does Malini Sharma do now?Farm life has not meant that Sharma has stopped working.She has revealed that she also works from home as a relationship manager for a coffee company. Alongside that, she sells customised oils through her venture.Her property also functions as a retreat. The farmstay includes a three-bedroom villa, accommodation and meals, while some packages involve sessions with psychologists and mental health professionals.Guests can also spend time in the property's library, take walks around the farm and have meals prepared according to their preferences.Malini Sharma may still be remembered by many for Raaz, CATS and the music videos that made her popular in the early 2000s. But her life today is centred on something very different.Rather than disappearing entirely, she appears to have chosen to build a life away from the constant attention that comes with showbiz.- EndsPublished By: shweta keshriPublished On: Aug 25, 2026 10:06 IST