peerless beauty queens – Although many years have passed since Swapna left the industry, she is still remembered for her bold roles as well as the performances she has given. (Credit: Express Archives, Facebook/@SanginiEntertainmentMaroc) To paraphrase Forrest Gump, “Cinema is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.

” This is especially true when it comes to audience reactions. They may love you very much or may curse you like crazy.

Therefore, maintaining survival in the film industry is not an easy task. Yet, there are some artists who gave up their stardom and stepped away from the limelight, and decided to set their priorities straight and embrace them wholeheartedly.

Actor Swapna was one of them. The once ruling star of South India, who also ventured into Bollywood, bid goodbye to cinema when she was still shining. According to Velinakshatram Online, Punjab-born Swapna Khanna entered the world of cinema through the Kannada industry.

However, it was Malayalam cinema that brought success to his career. After her Malayalam debut in renowned director PG Vishwambharan’s Sangharsam (1981), where she appeared opposite Rathish, Swapna started receiving a lot of offers from all over South India.

The same year, she worked in the Telugu-Kannada bilingual film Swapna, a remake of Raj Kapoor’s Sangam (1964). Apart from playing lead roles in Vijayakanth’s Nengile Thunavirunthal and Jadhikkoru Needhi, she also appeared in important roles in Kamal Haasan’s Kadal Meengal and Tik Tik Tik. She also played the heroine role in IV Sasi-MT Vasudevan Nair duo’s Thrishna opposite Mammootty, which proved instrumental in establishing her as an actor in the industry.

Swapna’s performance as a sex worker in the film also caught the attention of the audience.