Celebrities Who Died Too Soon

Marilyn Monroe: Lived up to 36

One of the most beautiful actresses ever, Marilyn Monroe was a rage in the 1950s. She was stunning and embodied innocence. She had a very unsettled childhood. She had a string of unsuccessful marriages and affairs including a rumoured one with charismatic US President John F Kennedy. Her first marriage was with childhood sweetheart Jimmy Dougherty in 1944. When Jimmy was away on assignment with the Merchant Marines, she was accidentally discovered by photographer David Conover and then began her initiation into the glamour world

Divya Bharti: Lived up to 19

She had everything going for her when she died in 1993 after a fall from her 5th floor apartment. Her death remains a mystery. Though many in film circles believe it was a suicide after a fight with husband Sajid Nadiadwalla, police could not come to any concrete conclusion.

James Dean: Lived up to 24

He was only 24 when he died in a high-speed car crash. In a very short span, James Dean, acted in three flicks - Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and Giant. The last two fetched him posthomous Academy Award nominations for Best Actor. A youth icon of his times, such is the charisma of Dean that even today, almost half a century after his death his legacy still endures.

Brittany Murphy: Lived up to 32

Having started her career in Hollywood at the tender age of 14, singer and actress Brittany Murphy acted in a spate of films like Clueless, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Don't Say a Word and Uptown Girls and was also a major in the television scene. Like many other starlets, Murphy too succumbed to wrong intake of prescription drugs

Madhubala: Lived up to 36

The ultimate beauty, Madhubala was to Bollywood what Marilyn Monroe was to Hollywood. Born as Mumtaz Begum Jehan Dehlavi in 1933 to a poor Pathan couple, Madhubala was one of 11 children. By virtue of sheer destiny, when her family relocatede from Delhi to Mumbai, Madhubala began her tryst with films. She was only 14. A so-far inert heart problem all but ended her successful run in 1950. Braving this problem and a very difficult father, she went on with her career for another 10 years. An much-publicised affair with thespian Dilip Kumar did not culminate in marriage leaving her broken-hearted. Marriage to actor Kishore Kumar happened in 1960.

Nafisa Joseph: Lived up to 25

A Miss India contest winner at just 17, Nafisa Joseph went on to host the popular MTV show for 5 years. The well-loved VJ and PETA activist had a great career ahead but unfortunately took a broken engagement with businessman Gautam Khanduja too hard and ended her life by hanging herself at her Mumbai flat.

Princess Diana: Lived up to 36

The most beautiful princess ever, the most photographed woman of her time, Diana's life was a contrast to her beauty. After a Fairy Tale Marriage that never was and a string of failed affairs, Diana's death in a car crash after a hot chase by paparazzi led to many questions being asked about the continued interference by snoopy press reporters in the lives of celebrities.

Heath Ledger: Lived up to 28

The actor best known for his superb roles in films like Brokeback Mountain, Casanova and The Dark Knight in which he essayed the role of The Joker to perfection, Ledger was found dead in his apartment reportedly due to intake of a medley of prescription drugs.

Anna Nicole Smith: Lived up to 37

Anna Nicole Smith aka Vickie Lynn Marshall, shot to fame overnight after her appearance on the Playboy cover in May 1992. Though she went on to became a successful model and TV personality her personal life was not as much alluring. She married first at 17 and later went on to marry tycoon J Howard Marshall who was 63 years older to her. She died at age 37 apparently owing to drug overdose and an overwhelming depression after the death of her 20-year-old son. At the time of her death she was also involved in a court case over Marshall's property.

What A Waste Of Life!

I don't know why I had the urge to suddenly google and see who was the guy Gautam Khanduja for whom, as the media claimed, Nafisa took her life.

And man was I shocked or what. A lady like that would hang herself for that man. What a waste of life and talent!

But most women just love rich men...

Remembering Nafisa Joseph

We often talk about Nafisa, the smart and happening VJ from India. She was quite impressive as a VJ and almost everyone who watched her, loved her work. Though when I started looking at her pictures I couldn't really find really good pictures that would show how smart she looked really. It seems they don't have good records of people in the 90s or I don't know. It was a shock to hear about her death for her fans everywhere.

Nafisa was born on 28th March, 1979 and died on 29th July, 2004. She was an Indian model, won the Miss India Title in 1997 when she was eighteen. She also was the runner up in Miss Universe pageant that same year. But more prominently, people loved her as a VJ on MTV. It is said, she modelled for the first time when she was only twelve years old.

She also acted in an Indian version of Charlie's Angels called C.A.T.S. that was aired on Sony Entertainment. She edited a magazine called Gurlz.

Nafisa was appreciated for her work for animal welfare. She wrote a weekly column "Nafisa For Animals" in the Bangalore edition of Times of India. She campaigned for Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD), People For The Ethical Treatment Of The Animals (PETA) and People For Animals (PFA).

Her sudden and untimely death shocked the world when she was found hanging dead in her apartment in Mumbai. People close to her say that she was very sad from inside for many days and had not been socializing. Something was bothering her. Her family blamed her fiance, businessman Gautam Khanduja for Nafisa's death because he lied to her about his divorce status. In reality he had told Nafisa he was divorced for last two years while they dated but when it was decided that they would marry in August 2004, it was revealed his divorce was not finalized and the papers were not yet completed. This meant a delay in Nafisa and Gautam's marriage. Nafisa was sad and felt betrayed perhaps and so she committed suicide.

Although a case was filed against Gautam but not much could be done about it because Gautam couldn't be held responsible for Nafisa's death directly. Media also said that there were problems between the two before her death due to his divorce issues. Nafisa blackmailed him that she would confront his wife while Gautam also blackmailed and threatened her.

Before Gautam, Nafisa also had affairs and engagements with Samir Soni and Sameer Malhotra that didn't survive. So he can't be blamed for such a reason for her death.

Unfortunately, such a bright and lovely girl whom the world admired killed herself in sad circumstances. It only leaves us to think that no matter how happy some people may look from the outside, it is not very easy to know what they are going through on the inside. People very conveniently pass judgements about people who commit suicide without understanding the suffering and pain.

Apparently, Nafisa is just one of the young and aspiring celebrities who was found dead in a shocking manner. Nafisa's friend and co-actor in C.A.T.S. Kuljeet Randhawa, also committed suicide in strange circumstances. She too hanged herself in her Juhu flat in 2006 leaving a suicide note saying that she is ending her life because she was unable to cope with the pressures of life.

Below you can see Kuljeet, I remember seeing her in C.A.T.S. but am quite shocked to know even she died so young.