Mumbai, India – Leena Chandavarkar, the yesteryear Bollywood actress often dubbed "Hema Malini's look-alike" for her striking beauty, led a life far more tumultuous than her on-screen glamour suggested. Despite a promising career in the 1970s and 80s, Chandavarkar's personal life was marred by profound sorrow, as she endured the loss of two husbands at tragically young ages.
At the peak of her career in 1975, Leena married Siddharth Bandodkar, son of Goa's first Chief Minister, Dayanand Bandodkar, and brother to then-CM Shashikala Kakodkar. Their grand wedding, however, turned into a nightmare just 11 days later when Siddharth accidentally shot himself while cleaning a gun. After months of medical struggle, he passed away 11 months after their marriage, leaving Leena a 25-year-old widow. The immense grief was compounded by accusations and taunts, leaving her feeling isolated and broken.
To cope with her devastating loss, Leena returned to films. A few years later, love re-entered her life in the form of legendary actor and singer Kishore Kumar. Despite her family's objections due to Kumar being 20 years her senior and having been married three times prior, Leena, determined to find happiness, defied her family. In 1980, at the age of 30 and seven months pregnant, she became Kishore Kumar's fourth wife. They welcomed a son, Sumeet Kumar. Leena subsequently left the film industry to focus on her family.
However, tragedy struck again on October 13, 1987, when Kishore Kumar passed away at 58. Leena, only 37 years old, was once again a widow. Following his demise, Leena dedicated herself to raising her son, Sumeet, and stepson, Amit Kumar, away from the spotlight. Now 74, Leena Chandavarkar lives a private life in Mumbai, her once-radiant beauty reflecting the years of hardship and resilience she has endured.