From Mika to Karan Johar: The “rise” of Rakhi Sawant

If you have been watching Indian television, you must have noticed the “rise” of Rakhi Sawant. She started as an item girl … one of the many girls who popped up in nice catchy videos sprinkled with all the spices desi videos are permitted to.

If you have been watching Indian television, you must have noticed the “rise” of Rakhi Sawant. She started as an item girl … one of the many girls who popped up in nice catchy videos sprinkled with all the spices desi videos are permitted to. Rakhi has appeared in a dozen films and shot to C grade fame like other item girls like Yana Gupta (Babu ji Jara Dheer Chalo) and the Khallas girl. While most of these items go back to oblivion or continue doing C grade stuff, Rakhi Sawant is one girl who has succeeded in surviving in Bollywood and Indian media by her antics both off and on camera.

First was the Mika kiss episode. She did not have much role to play in the beginning .. where Mika forcibly kissed her on the lips. Rakhi was infuriated and her comments were live on all the Indian new channels. She went ahead and filed a police complaint against the influential Mika. And the world got to hear one of the revelations of modern Indian women as Rakhi Sawant commented : “Mein ek bharatiyan nari hun … mein gaal pe kiss allow kar sakti hu, lips pe nahin” (I am an Indian woman. I can allow a kiss on the cheeks but not on my lips). This shot Rakhi to limelight. The public was amused by her brash and mindless comments. Some people thought she talked straight from her heart. Next came Bigg Boss, the reality show .. where confused Rakhi Sawant came up with more antics than reality TV in India could ever deliver. She was voted out.. and she came back in after Sony paid her a fat check. A livewire, Rakhi Sawant became a household name in India … the over exposed .. both physically and emotionally Rakhi appealed to both men and women for respective reasons

She openly spoke how her mother hates her .. how her father never cared … fell in love on camera. Shes one woman who does not know what to say .. when to say. Rakhi is so imperfect that in this diplomatic trying-to-be perfect world, she stands out !!

Sony got her as a co judge in a comedy show and soon shes guest starring in the desi version of the Bigest loser. And you must have watched the Koffee with Karan show where Rakhi Sawant was the guest of the evening. She was twice on Seedhe Baat, the celebrity show on Aajtak. And why not … where can you hear an Indian celebrity talk in lengths of how she got a makeover from the plastic surgeon all over her body. How she is ready to sleep with a director for a big role. How she pulls down the leading ladies and how she is not ready to marry as long as she is hot.

That is Rakhi Sawant for you. Probably she will remain a B grade actress and an item girl who will fade with age. But she knows that and says that had she been convent educated and born into a bollywood family, she would have been a star by now. Well she is the star of the masses anyway. So its cliche but I think one cannot resist from saying : You can love her or hate her but you cannot ignore her.

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