Tandon’s tendons

I am stubborn, very strong headed and full of life and energy.'' Meet Rakhi Tandon, the popular, enthusiastic artist from Hum Paanch and...

“I am stubborn, very strong headed and full of life and energy.” Meet Rakhi Tandon, the popular, enthusiastic artist from Hum Paanch and Banegi Apni Baat. In between her hectic schedule for Cincinatti Bublaboo (?) she takes out some time for a Tete-A-Tete.

TV TAKES OVER
When she was 16, she went to Anand Mahendroo’s office with a friend for a screen test. The friend got chucked out and the director gave Rakhi her first break, in Dekh Bhai Dekh. Soon a host of other offers followed. She was featured in Hum Paanch, Baat Ban Jaye, Banegi Apni Baat, Professor Pyarelal, Parampara, Mr Mintoo and many others. Hum Paanch made her widely recognisable and popular while Banegi Apni Baat honed her acting skills.

She is confident, and her on-screen theaterics certainly make people consider her brash. But as Rakshi clarifies “There is one factor always in my personality. I always want to create the possible from impossible”. Her belief is that she has strongly inherited her independent mindedness and confidence from her father Narendar Vijan, a completely self-made man, today in the automobiles spare parts business.

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She says “my father considers me more as a son than a daughter, but he still didn’t allow me to join his business. I was very disappointed then.”

Today she is into prodction along with acting, because as Rakhi puts it, “my belief is in my business genes”. She loves to work, and no, not much time for laughs and jokes. She adds ruefully, “I am a humourless person with very few humorous experiences in my eye.”

And the future is something she is never ready to discuss. A firm believer in destiny (“whatever is destined to happen will happen”) her only comment is “I will cross the bridge when I have to”. So no news from her about future plans.

TIME PASS
After a hetic day she loves to spend her time in the evenings with her husband and friends. (there are 3 of them, Raju, Kamlesh and Koki). They are either at Khan-e-khaas’ or trim with taste’ hold your breath — every day!!! She does this every night. So if you want to meet her, you know where to visit.

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And for inspiration, she consults another close friend, Parul and her husband Rajeev.

HE AND SHE
To her, two things definitely changed her life. One was her launch in Dekh Bhai Dekh’. The second thing is her marriage to Rajeev Tandon (elder brother of Raveena Tandon). She states “marriage has entirely changed me for the better”. Quizzed about her husband’s academics, background or how they met, her stock reply was “I don’t want to talk about it”. The reason for her not revealing her future production plans were similar. In her words “my husband is the head of RR Productions and we all (including herself) are workers. I am in marketing. I will be kicked out if I reveal his plans. Ha!”.

TRIVIA

Date of Birth: 22nd July
Height: 5 ft 3”
Favourite car: Mercedes Benz (She owns one)
Favourite hangout: Khane Khaas
Favourite colour: White
Qualities she like in people: Fun loving and wacked out sense of humour
Qualities she hates: I hate nothing
About India: I love my country (cliched?)
Philosophy in life: I can’t take this philosophy (shft) I hate it.
Favourite Heroes: Brendon Fraser, Govinda
Favourite Heroine: Kajol
Favourite Movies: None
Favourite Hobbies: Only working
Message to CY readers: Live life king size