To reword Forrest Gump, “Cinema is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get.” This is especially true when it comes to audience reactions. They may love you to the moon and back, or bash you like crazy. Hence, survival in the film industry isn’t a cakewalk. Yet, there are some artistes who gave up their stardom and walked away from the limelight, choosing to set their priorities straight and embrace them wholeheartedly. Actor Swapna was one among them. Once a reigning star in South India, who also made inroads into Bollywood, she bid adieu to cinema while she was still shining brightly.
Born in Punjab, according to Vellinakshatram Online, Swapna Khanna made her entry into the world of cinema through the Kannada industry. However, it was Malayalam cinema that provided her career breakthrough. Following her Malayalam debut in legendary director PG Viswambharan’s Sangharsham (1981), where she appeared alongside Ratheesh, Swapna began receiving a plethora of offers from across South India. The same year, she headlined the Telugu-Kannada bilingual movie Swapna, a remake of Raj Kapoor’s Sangam (1964). Besides playing the female lead in Vijayakanth’s Nenjile Thunivirunthal and Jadhikkoru Needhi, she appeared in key roles in Kamal Haasan’s Kadal Meengal and Tik Tik Tik as well. She also played the heroine opposite Mammootty in the IV Sasi-MT Vasudevan Nair duo’s Thrishna, which proved instrumental in establishing him as an actor in the industry. Swapna’s performance as a sex worker in the movie also received the audience’s attention.
Unhesitant to appear a little sexy on-screen when the character demanded it, Swapna also captured the hearts of the masses with her physical beauty. At a time when many female actors approached characters with grey shades or those that fell outside the norms set by a patriarchal society with apprehension, fearing typecasting, Swapna embraced such roles in films like Chiriyo Chiri and Oru Thira Pinneyum Thira with boldness. Although not all the films explored her acting talents, she soon became crowned as a beauty queen and a quintessential ingredient in commercial movies.
Unhesitant to appear a little sexy on-screen when the character demanded it, Swapna also captured the hearts of the masses with her physical beauty. (Express archive photo)
She also shared the screen with the then-superstar Prem Nazir in films like Marupacha, Angachamayam, and Oru Thira Pinneyum Thira. From Velicham Vitharunna Penkutty, Post Mortem, and Varanmaare Aavashyamundu, to Onnu Chirikku, Prem Nazirine Kanmanilla, Bhookambam, and Vikatakavi, Swapna continued to make strides. Meanwhile, she also appeared opposite up-and-coming star Mohanlal in notable movies like Uyarangalil, Swanthamevide Bandhamevide, and Kadathanadan Ambadi, among which her performance in Uyarangalil attracted the most attention. Amid the praise for her beauty and sex appeal, such films also helped Swapna establish herself as a strong performer.
Swapna Khanna with Rajinikanth. (Express archive photo)
Meanwhile, she also did quite a few Bollywood movies like Jeetendra-Jaya Prada’s Haqeeqat, Dharmendra’s Hukumat, Jackie Shroff’s Teri Meherbaniyan, Dilip Kumar–Govinda–Madhuri Dixit’s Izzatdaar, and Salman Khan’s Kurbaan. Swapna also appeared as Rajinikanth’s heroine in the multi-starrer Farishtay, which also featured Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Jaya Prada, and Sridevi in key roles.
However, she did not overstay her welcome in the industry. Following her marriage to entrepreneur Raman Khanna, Swapna slowly bid goodbye to cinema, but she kept her connection with art alive. They established an event management company called Sangini Entertainment. According to the firm’s official Facebook page, Sangini Entertainment “intends to offer a wide range of premium quality, professionally administered theatrical shows to the lovers of Indian Cinema across the length and breadth of the globe.” Although years have passed since Swapna left the industry, she is still cherished to this day for her bold roles, as well as the performances she delivered.
