Untying the knots: Bollywood actresses who chose career over family

Nargis Fakhri, Mallika Sherawat, Aditi Rao Hydari, Chitrangada Singh

Pardon the cliché, but there's always light at the end of the tunnel. While we have had several A-list actresses sacrificing their respective careers for domestic bliss, a few others have done just the opposite - left everything behind just to be a part of the Hindi film industry. hitlist gives you a lowdown on some of the heroines, who have untangled themselves from personal knots and started anew, courtesy Bollywood...

Mallika Sherawat (37)

Known for her bold roles, this Punjabi kudi has the image of a sex symbol. Originally born as Reema Lamba, she changed her name to Mallika meaning empress when she stepped into Bollywood. The actress used to work as an air hostess and was married to a pilot, Karan Singh Gill. However, Mallika's soaring ambitions to become an actress is said to have taken a toll on her marriage. After getting divorced, she tried her hand at modelling and worked in ads. Soon, she made her Bollywood debut with Khwahish (2003), which hit headlines for the 17 kisses she shared with co-star, Himanshu Malik. The actress usually dodges questions about her past.

Chitrangada Singh (38)

This dusky beauty, who announced her entry into the film industry with Sudhir Mishra's Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, was married to ace golfer, Jyoti Randhawa and the couple has a son, Zorawar. Sources say that the actress left her house in Delhi and shifted to Mumbai to pursue an acting career, which did not go down well with her hubby. Their marriage was under constant media scrutiny and reports of ‘trouble in paradise' often surfaced. However, both Chitrangada and Randhawa preferred to stay mum about it. It was only earlier this year that news about their divorce was made public. The actress hasn't spoken about it yet.

Aditi Rao Hyadri (35)

Sudhir Mishra is credited for giving this actress a Bollywood break in his critically acclaimed Ye Saali Zindagi. She was only 21 when she got married to bureaucrat-turned-actor, Satyadeep Misra and it lasted only for a brief period. For a long time, Aditi did not speak about her past but opened up about the divorce in an interview last year. She had said, "I met him when I was 17 and that was my only serious relationship. It broke my heart when we separated, but only the name of the relationship collapsed, as we are friends and are still close. For his mother, I am a daughter and for my mother, he will always remain a son. He is much older to me and always teases me about being his child who he cannot get rid of."

Nargis Fakhri (34)

The Rockstar girl, who hails from New York, is said to have left her home and boyfriend to become a Bolly actress. According to reports, Nargis wanted to do more in life than just get married and settled down. Thus, she packed her bags and left for India eight years ago. The big gamble surely seems to have paid off for the half Czech, half Pakistani actress, who was last seen in an item number in the Salman Khan-starrer blockbuster, Kick. Nargis says she doesn't have any regrets about her decision to leave home.

Mahie Gill (38)

Best remembered as Paro in her debut film, Dev.D, Mahi also went through tough times before she became an actress. The actress moved to Mumbai from Chandigarh to try her luck in Bollywood after a bitter divorce and a long period of depression. But then she burst onto the big scene in 2009, her first flm earning rave reviews. It was not until recently that she spoke up about her failed marriage. "I was very young and immature at that time. But now I am quite mature, and I share a good rapport with my ex-husband. I still respect him and we do exchange messages often. But, I am over that relationship and now, I would love to re-marry and have kids," she has stated.