Back in the 1980s, Tina Munim was one of Bollywood’s brightest stars. However, at the peak of her success, she chose to leave the world of glamour and married businessman Anil Ambani. Years later, her niece has offered a rare glimpse into Tina Ambani’s life beyond the spotlight, revealing that she has never regretted walking away from films or felt a sense of loss over the career she left behind.
Special note for Tina Ambani
On Saturday, author Lina Ashar shared a special note on Instagram dedicated to her “Tina masi.” In the emotional post, Lina opened up about how her bond with Tina Ambani has grown even stronger following the loss of her own mother.
Lina also shared that Tina Ambani’s birth name is Nivruti.
Sharing a reel with special moments with Tina, Lina wrote, “Gratitude day 83: After Bhavana masi comes Nivruti. Though most of the world knows her as Tina Munim and Tina Ambani. Her birth name Nivruti means The inward journey. Peace after striving. A return to the self.
“And in our family, we always joked that after having nine children, my grandparents finally reached nivruti… complete exhaustion and surrender. But somehow the name became prophecy,” she added.
In her post, Lina also fondly looked back at watching Tina Ambani during her acting days while growing up, revealing that she was completely captivated by her grace and charm.
“As a child, I would sit and stare at Tina masi while she did her makeup before film shoots That perfect face. That movie-star beauty. I remember secretly wishing I could look a little like her. She lived a life most people only imagine. Cinema. Glamour. Fame. And then she stepped into another world entirely as an Ambani bahu — with such grace, and never once with a sense of loss for the life she left behind. But today, when I think of her, I don’t think of glamour at all. I think of the true meaning of her name,” she wrote.
Lina added, “Because in the final months of my mother’s life, I watched Nivruti – Tina masi emerge fully.”
Recalling the time when her mother suffered a stroke, Lina said Tina stood like a pillar of strength, visiting her in the hospital every single day and offering constant support throughout the ordeal.
“Every single day after my mother’s stroke, Tina masi came. Sometimes twice a day. She sang bhajans. Old songs. Stories from their childhood. Memories only sisters carry. My mother had given her away in marriage years ago. And only recently did I understand how deeply that had bonded them. Something between sisterhood and motherhood lived there,” she wrote.
Lina continued, “And when my mother passed, no one cried more than Tina masi. I think losing her felt like losing both a sister and a mother at the same time. People often ask what good can possibly come from grief. For me, one gift emerged quietly through the pain. In losing my mother, I found a deeper relationship with Tina masi.”
Tina’s acting journey
Before she became known as a philanthropist and businesswoman, Tina Ambani aka Tina Munim, was one of the most popular actors of the late 1970s and 1980s Bollywood. She made her debut with Des Pardes (1978) opposite Dev Anand and went on to deliver memorable performances in films like Baaton Baaton Mein (1979), Karz (1980), Lootmaar (1980), Rocky (1981), Souten (1983), and Bade Dil Wala (1983). Known for her expressive eyes, effortless grace, and natural acting style, she was one of the most sought-after heroines of her time before stepping away from films in the early 1990s. Her last film was Jigarwala in 1991, which starred Anil Kapoor and her as the lead pair.
On 2 February 1991, Tina Munim married Anil Ambani, the younger son of the late industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of Reliance Industries. The couple has two sons: Jai Anmol Ambani (born in December 1991) and Jai Anshul Ambani (born in September 1995). Their elder son, Jai Anmol, married Khrisha Shah on 20 February 2022.
