She became a cult icon with one film, then was never seen again - The untold story of 'Veerana' girl

In 1979, at the age of only 13, Jasmine Dhunna arrived in Bollywood as the leading lady to Vinod Khanna in Sarkari Mehmaan. Starting her career at such a young age, she was regarded highly for her beauty and presence on screen. Unfortunately, despite a bright start, she didn't pursue many films and was largely absent from the industry for several years.

Fast forward to 1988, approximately nine years later, she starred in the cult classic horror film, Veerana, where she played a ghost, simultaneously hypnotic and terrifying, which was enough to make the audience essentially mesmerized. The film became a cult classic, and Jasmine, the onscreen character, was memorialized in film history as the "beautiful ghost" of Bollywood, and suddenly, she was regarded with nationwide fame, for just one film.

While Veerana saw Jasmine rise to stardom overnight, she disappeared from the film industry. Her fans and the industry were caught off guard by her sudden disappearance, especially considering Jasmine was riding high on success and popularity. Unlike many of her contemporaries who had very long careers, Jasmine broke the complete silence and only raised questions and conjecture.

Rumors began thereafter that Jasmine was linked to the notorious underworld syndicate leader Dawood Ibrahim. According to India.com, reports suggested Dawood was infatuated with Jasmine and forced her into a relationship. His people allegedly made the situation worse by harassing her, stalking her, and instilling fear. Rumor has it that Jasmine stopped working in films entirely because of the associated consequences.

For more than 35 years, no one knows where Jasmine Dhunna is. In the 1990s, there were even some reports that she had gotten married and lived in the United States, but there has never been any confirmation. Her story remains one of Bollywood's biggest mysteries — a talented actress who gained fame overnight and then vanished without a trace.