In 2001, three actresses came together for CATS, an Indian spy series inspired by Charlie's Angels. Nafisa Joseph, Kuljeet Randhawa, and Malini Sharma starred in this 32-episode TV series as fashionable secret agents. This iconic series is still remembered, but not for the right reasons. Two of its leading women died by suicide, while the third quietly left the entertainment industry.
Nafisa Joseph had already made her mark before she came to CATS. Having been a finalist in Miss India 1997, she participated in the Miss Universe competition and also emerged as one of the favourite video jockeys of MTV India. Being intelligent and having a keen interest in social affairs, she looked forward to becoming an actor.
Tragedy befell her in 2004 when she took her own life at the age of 26. This occurred in her Mumbai residence. Nafisa had been engaged to Gautam Khanduja, a businessman and their wedding was reportedly scheduled for the following month. Her death shocked the entertainment industry.
Her co-actor and a close friend, Kuljeet Randhawa, had also carved out a successful career for herself. Having graduated in psychology from the University of Delhi, she initially came into the limelight through Hip Hip Hurray. Later, she starred in Special Squad and Kohinoor on Star One and Sahara One, respectively.
Kuljeet took her own life in 2006 when she was just 30 years old, only about 18 months after Nafisa did the same thing. It is claimed that she left behind a message stating that her boyfriend had nothing to do with her action. Moreover, she had just finished filming her first movie.
The tale of the cursed Indian TV show took another direction for Malini Sharma. The actress, who has had success both as a model and as an actress in music videos, starred in hits like Kya Soorat Hai and Sawan Mein Lag Gayi Aag. Her role in CATS helped her land a part in Vikram Bhatt's horror hit Raaz.
Later on, Malini tied the knot with actor Priyanshu Chatterjee, but they got divorced after some time. Then Malini quit acting and never came back to the screen. Contrary to her fellow actors, she opted for a life outside of entertainment.
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