Remember CATS, the early-2000s television show that starred Nafisa Joseph, Kuljeet Randhawa and Malini Sharma? While Joseph and Randhawa later died by suicide, Sharma gradually stepped away from the spotlight. Unlike many actors who disappear from the public eye, however, she seems to have found a life far removed from showbiz — one surrounded by trees, farms, homegrown food and guests. Today, Sharma lives in the Sahyadri Hills, where she runs a farmstay, grows vegetables, hosts guests and has embraced what she describes as a slower way of living.Sharma first caught the public’s attention as a model when she appeared in the Bombay Vikings music video “Kya Soorat Hai”, which became an instant hit. She subsequently featured in Mika Singh’s “Saawan Mein Lag Gayi Aag”, another music video that continues to remain popular.By the time she landed a role in CATS, Sharma’s modelling career was already gaining momentum. Her appearance on the show also opened doors in films. She went on to play a pivotal role in Vikram Bhatt’s Raaz (2002), alongside Dino Morea and Bipasha Basu. Malini Sharma in CATS. (Photo: Express Archives)The horror film became a major success and turned its lead cast into household names. Although Sharma had a comparatively smaller role, her portrayal left a lasting impression on audiences. Her appearance in the film, particularly in the song “Aapke Pyaar Mein,” became one of the most recognisable aspects of her brief Bollywood career.Around the same period, Sharma was married to actor Priyanshu Chatterjee, who had made his film debut with Tum Bin in 2001. The marriage, however, ended in divorce within a few years. Sharma subsequently began moving away from the limelight.When Malini Sharma chose to step behind the cameraIn 2002, Sharma reportedly backed out of the film Encounter just 48 hours before it went on the floor. According to India Today, she had realised after years of working as a model and actor that she wanted to explore work behind the camera. The film eventually starred Naseeruddin Shah, Dilip Prabhavalkar and Tara Deshpande.ALSO READ | Mahakali: Akshaye Khanna is unrecognisable in first theatrical release after DhurandharOver the years, Sharma largely disappeared from mainstream entertainment coverage. She did not, however, completely disappear from public life. Instead, she built something of her own.From The Slow Local to life on a farmSharma is active on social media, although she doesn’t use her celebrity name as the identity of her venture. Instead, she operates under the name The Slow Local, a project she began nearly a decade ago and which has evolved considerably over the years.The venture initially brought together locally made food, crafts, workshops and pop-up events in Versova. Sharma has hosted children’s workshops, including storytelling sessions, and sold homemade bread, South Indian coffee, granola, jams, peanut butter and different varieties of oils. She has also been associated with plant exhibitions, handmade ceramics, crochet, decoupage and homemade cakes and other food products. The Slow Local. (Photo: The Slow Local/Instagram)Eventually, The Slow Local took her to the farm.Story continues below this adSharma now runs a farmstay in the Sahyadris, around two hours from Pune, where she grows vegetables and prepares meals for guests using produce from the farm. In one of her Instagram videos, she spoke about the challenges of growing enough food for the property.“When I started The Slow Local Diaries, I confessed I did a shoddy job with the vegetable produce but this year, the produce has been better. The challenge is to produce enough for meal after meal,” she said.She has also described the location simply to followers as a small village in the hills, around two hours from Pune.‘It is our own little forest’The property appears to be surrounded by considerable greenery, and Sharma has made it clear that she does not intend to disturb the natural habitat around it. Speaking about the land, she said: “We have mostly grown fruit trees at the farm .. the land came with great abundance when we bought it .. several arjun and harad trees, we also have a few kokum, an ancient Palash, shikakai and still discovering more.”Story continues below this adShe has also said that many of the trees and plants on the property have medicinal value, something she is still learning about. The farm itself is large enough to encompass part of a mountain. Sharma has deliberately left that portion untouched.“We have left the jungle be in the mountain, we don’t want to disturb the habitat. It is our own little forest,” she said.Her stated intention has been to grow organic food for guests while creating a space where people can slow down and reconnect with nature. Sharma appears to have moved to the farm around 2020. In a 2025 post about visiting the Kaas Plateau, she wrote that she had first read about the place around four years earlier, after moving to the farm, giving us a timeline of when she moved to the farm.“Recently visited the kaas plateau… its a 3.5 hour drive from the farm .. there were few varieties in bloom but more will come about as the season progresses.. always wanted to visit the valley of flowers in uttarakhand as I didn’t know about kaas .. i read about kaas 4 years back when i moved to the farm .. .finally saw it .. would love to go again before seson ends in Oct,” she wrote.Story continues below this adShe still interacts with fans — on her own termsDespite the curiosity surrounding her disappearance from Bollywood, Sharma has rarely addressed the rumours about why she left the industry. Instead, she occasionally responds to fans in the comments section of her Instagram posts, where she has confirmed that she is indeed the Malini Sharma from Raaz and offered small glimpses into her life. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Slow Local (@theslowlocal)In one such exchange, a fan wrote: “Ma’am mai Muslim hoo lekin apka bahaut bada fans hu!” Sharma replied: “I am half Muslim too… I have married a Pathan.” When the fan subsequently asked whether she was married to Priyanshu Chatterjee and whether the two were still in touch, Sharma replied: “Not at all.”On another occasion, a fan asked whether she regretted leaving Bollywood. “Who said I left, only steered away, can steer back and away again maybe,” she replied. And when another fan suggested that she should create social media profiles under her real name because fans found it difficult to trace her, Sharma simply responded: “They’ll find me like you did.”‘Facing the camera again after 23 years’Perhaps the clearest indication that Sharma has no desire to completely erase her past came when she launched The Slow Local Diaries, a video diary documenting her life at the farm. The launch video marked her return to the camera after years away. In the caption, she wrote: “Facing the camera again after very long… this time the real me, no makeup, no dialogues, shooting from the heart.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Slow Local (@theslowlocal)In the video, Sharma directly addressed the curiosity surrounding her disappearance.“Hi, this is Malini, facing the camera again after 23 years of Raaz. For those of you wondering where I disappeared, well, I am alive. I am here to present The Slow Local Diaries,” she said. The choice of background music was a nostalgic one — her iconic “Aapke Pyaar Mein” from Raaz.Story continues below this adA different kind of work lifeLife at the farm hasn’t meant that Sharma has completely stepped away from professional work. She recently revealed that she has taken up a work-from-home role as a relationship manager with a coffee company. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Slow Local (@theslowlocal)Alongside this, she sells customised oils. Her farm also doubles up as a retreat. Sharma offers her 3BHK villa in the forest for monthly rentals and hosts packages that include accommodation, food and sessions with psychologists in collaboration with mental health professionals. The property also has a library and offers what she describes as a slower, quieter experience — tailor-made meals, walks and conversations away from the rush of city life.‘I am here’When SCREEN reached out to Sharma for an interview, she made it clear that she wasn’t interetsed in giving interviews. Instead, she said she would communicate through her Instagram page whenever she felt necessary. And perhaps that says more about her life today than any formal interview could.For someone who once lived under the glare of Bollywood cameras, Sharma now seems content to be known for what she is building rather than what she once was. She hasn’t exactly erased Malini Sharma, the model and actor who appeared in CATS, Raaz and some of the most popular music videos of her era.She has simply given herself another identity — one built around a farm, food, trees, coffee, guests and a slower life in the Sahyadris.