Where is Jasmin?

One of the biggest tragedies of Hindi cinema is the string of ethereal beauties who vanished after doing just a few films. The gorgeous Jasmin, for example.

The 1979 film Sarkaari Mehmaan, starring Vinod Khanna, introduced us to her. Some saw shades of Madhubala in her, so one can imagine how beautiful she must have been. Her babyish voice only made her more desirable.

Five years later, Jasmin appeared in a nondescript film called Divorce, with Sharmila Tagore, Girish Karnad and Vijayendra Ghatge. It tanked at the box office and four more years passed before she reappeared on the screen.

In 1988, the Ramsay brothers cast her as the lead in their horror flick Veerana. Jasmin played herself, a beautiful woman who is possessed by an evil witch. Veerana was a super hit, with fans going gaga over this unbelievably beautiful actress. Hemant Birje played the hero, but Veerana was all about Jasmin.

In 1990, she played a blink-and-you-miss role of a fairy in Hatim Tai, then vanished.

Some say she hailed from Pakistan and went back home. There were also rumours that indecent proposals from the underworld forced her to quit the country. Others say she married an NRI and settled in America, and then there were rumours of her settling down in Haryana after marriage to someone called Rahul Tugnait.

No one really knows where Jasmin is. All we know is that her disappearance was a huge loss for her fans and the industry.