Mad about her

Age?Twenty six.''Most popularly known as?The scatter-brained Sweety of the teleserial, Hum Paanch,'' she sighs.Married?Yes. The crimp...

Age?
8220;Twenty six.8221;

Most popularly known as?
8220;The scatter-brained Sweety of the teleserial, Hum Paanch,8221; she sighs.

Married?
Yes. The crimp-haired vivacious gal tied the knot some two years ago to producer Ravi Tandon who, incidentally, is actress Raveena Tandon8217;s brother.

So does Raakhee also hail from a filmi background?
8220;No. My father is a businessman dealing in auto spares and I was merrily going through college when I was spotted by an advertising person. She liked my face and asked me to model. That led to the offer of the teleserial Dekh Bhai Dekh, followed by Hum Paanch.8221;

And while Hum Paanch has given the actress a major fan following, it has also led to her acquiring an identity she finds difficult to break away from.

8220;Half the time people think I am as bird-brained as the character I play. Even little kids scamper up to me and talk to me as though we have the same IQ. It gets to me at times. But then I console myself with the thought that it says a lot for my acting abilities. That I have managed to play a character so convincingly that people have actually started to believe that I am like that only,8221; she shrugs.

So is she, ahem, like that only?
8220;How can you ask? Of course not. I mean I do have some sense and I certainly don8217;t go around singing those filmi songs all the time. Nor am I an extrovert like in the serial. I am really very different.8221; Okay, okay, we believe you Sweety8230; er, Raakhee.

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Despite her popularity on TV, how come she8217;s not seen in too many serials?
8220;I am acting in two other serials 8211; Henna and Professor Pyarelal 8211; both produced by my husband. I have decided to work only in our in-house serials,8221; she explains. So movies, too, are out, unless, of course, they happen to be hubby8217;s productions.

And what does she do in her ample spare hours?
She spends them doing the best possible thing 8211; nothing. 8220;I really have no interests or hobbies though I assist my husband in his work at times, because I want to learn more about production. Other than that, I just lounge around. My mother-in-law is a super-efficient home-maker so I am not required to do anything on that front. I shoot just six days a month and spend the rest of the time with the family.8221; Domesticity is obviously the best policy here.

With two stars at home, does she have a tough time getting along with sis-in-law Raveena Tandon?
8220;On the contrary, we get along like a house on fire. We are friends first, relatives later. In fact, Raveena was my strongest supporter during my courtship days, and when Ravi started getting cold feet at the nth hour, since we knew each other just six months before tying the knot, it was Raveena who gave him the push. What8217;s amazing is that after we started to get to know each other, we discovered that our tastes were uncannily similar. We wear the same kind of clothes, have the same shoe size and even identical eating habits.

8220;When Ravi and I had gone to Switzerland for our honeymoon, Raveena was also shooting there. One day, she and I decided to go out shopping. At one point, we went separately to pick up what each one wanted. When we met after sometime, and showed each other what we had bought, believe it or not, we had picked up identical stuff 8211; the same shoes, shirt and perfumes8221;!

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So, what is the ideal bahu and bhabi most likely to say?
8220;India is a beautiful country but we, as Indians, need to try and make it a better place to stay in, because it seems to be going downhill everyday8221;.

And least likely to say?
8220;Er8230; ummm8230; I dunno.8221; Perhaps it8217;s just the Sweety hangover.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More