Malini Sharma, best known for ‘Raaz’, has been leading a low-profile life amid the Sahyadri Hills. Having walked away from the limelight when her career was at its peak, she now manages a farm stay in the region and has centred her life around promoting homemade food, handcrafted gifts, bread, and other locally sourced items. Her story has struck a chord online, with fans flooding social media to shower her with love. Interestingly, her Instagram account, despite being nearly a decade old, had only 644 followers at the time the story broke. Within a week, that number has jumped past 28,000.

Malini Sharma thanks fans for the overwhelming love

Overwhelmed by the wave of love following her viral story, Malini has released a video to thank her newfound well-wishers. In it, the former actress introduces herself, saying, “Hi, this is Malini with Slow Local Diaries.” Visibly touched by the response, she goes on to say, “You guys have just done wonders. I wasn’t expecting this at all. Thank you. Gratitude. I am overwhelmed. I actually don’t have any words to say.”

Malini Sharma requests fans to use WhatsApp for farmstay bookings

After her identity and Instagram profile came to light, many people started reaching out to the contact number linked to her farmstay. In response to the surge in calls, Malini asked people to get in touch only via WhatsApp for booking-related queries. “Our farmstay is very small and we have been receiving multiple calls at our farmstay number. It is becoming difficult for us to respond to all. I request you all to use the FarmStay number for WhatsApp messages—only for bookings. Rest, I am receiving so many messages on Instagram. I will try and reply to all of you. I am the Slow Local, so I will do it slowly. Please bear with me,” she said.

Malini Sharma's journey from modelling to ‘Raaz’ fame

Before making her mark in Vikram Bhatt's 2002 horror blockbuster ‘Raaz’, Malini had already built a name for herself through modelling and her stint on the TV show ‘C.A.T.S.’ in the early 2000s. ‘Raaz’ proved to be a huge hit, turning its lead cast into overnight stars. While Sharma's role in the film was relatively brief, she still managed to make a lasting impact on audiences, largely thanks to the popular song ‘Aapke Pyaar Mein’.