She once was a prominent Bollywood actress. Now, as a Buddhist nun, Galten Samten is far from the glamour world for a spiritual journey. Formerly known as Barkha Madan, she underwent an astonishing transformation from a life full of fame to a serene path of self-realization.
Barkha Madan, a name from the glamour industry, was such a celebrity and had participated with Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai when they all tried to make a mark in Miss India. Then, her title win at the Miss Tourism India pageant eventually led her into Bollywood as a debutante sharing screen space alongside Akshay Kumar in the film *Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi*. And it wasnt all hunky-dory even for her at times. Though she received a lot of attention after *Bhoot*, she could not even reach the webcams in later films.
She did get a few breaks in television. She played Rani Lakshmibai in the series *1857 Kranti*. Apart from acting, she also ventures into producing through her production house, wherein she produced and acted in a few films also. She did all this but could not feel proud of her work.
She turned towards spirituality to get a deeper sense of satisfaction. Attracted by Buddhism and seeking comfort in the Dalai Lama's teachings, she finally walked away from the world of cinema, its glitter. She entered a Buddhist ashram in Tibet and started to meditate. Her glamorous actress past was over, and the real journey towards her inner self had begun.