Ma Anand Sheela, also known as Sheela Ambalal Patel or Sheela Birnstiel, is remembered for her close connection with spiritual leader Osho, also known as Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. She was born in India and later moved to the United States. She became the secretary of Osho and helped manage the Rajneeshpuram Ashram in Oregon, USA. Her life was full of controversies, which made her a well-known name around the world.
Ma Anand Sheela’s Controversial Life Journey
In 2018, the Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country introduced Sheela’s story to the new generation. The show revealed how she rose to power within the Rajneesh movement and how things took a dark turn. After the success of the show, another documentary titled Searching for Sheela was released. It was directed by Bollywood filmmaker Shakun Batra and gave more insight into her life.
Ma Anand Sheela had a very close relationship with Osho. She often said their bond was based on deep emotional connection, not physical. She spoke about how they shared poetry and even watched films together. However, things changed when serious allegations were made against her.
In 1984, Sheela and her team were involved in a bioterror attack in Oregon, where more than 700 people fell ill after eating food poisoned with salmonella. This act was reportedly done to affect a local election. It became the biggest bioterror attack in American history. Sheela was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison but was released after just 3 years due to good behavior.
Her personal life was also filled with many ups and downs. She married three times. Her first husband, Mark Silverman, died in 1980. Later, she married John Shelfer, another follower of Osho. After he passed away, she was in a relationship with Urs Birnstill, who later died of AIDS. She also adopted a daughter and named her business Anuja Impex in her name.
There was also a plan to make a Bollywood film on her life. Alia Bhatt was chosen to play Sheela, and the movie was supposed to be directed by Shakun Batra. However, the film was never made due to a lack of funding.
Even today, Ma Anand Sheela remains a topic of discussion due to her unique journey from a spiritual secretary to a woman involved in one of the most shocking crimes in America. Despite everything, she still speaks fondly of Osho and continues to live in Switzerland, far from her past life at Rajneeshpuram.
