An ‘A’ lister moonrise; Chandini

Bengaluru: She is one of the few actresses with a doctorate in marketing after earning a gold medal in her master’s degree. Chandini Sasha, is a multi talented actress in the true sense — a film distributor for a leading Hollywood studio (Sony Pictures) in India and an international film consultant, who rose to stardom after she was crowned Miss Photogenic at the Miss India worldwide pageant held in New York (around 2000). Since then, she has never looked back and is now returning to Sandalwood with Khaidi.

“My career so far has been  unique. I have been busy doing films in Gujarati and Bhojpuri apart from teaching media and marketing. I was never away but took a gap from Sandalwood, as I was waiting for good films. Khaidi impressed me for various reasons including the story,” says Chandini. She will also be seen dancing in the film. She has recently featured in a state award winning film in Gujarati wherein she portrays the role a person who ages 16 to 60 years. She has also been being busy distributing Hollywood films in South India. She was part of the distribution of the latest Amazing Spiderman series, and now she is working on Khaidi.

Chandini, is best known for her performance in the pathbreaking film directed by Real Star Upendra— A, after which she did AK-47 alongside Sandalwwood King Shivarajkumar. “My selection for A film was quite funny. Two of my photos from the beauty pageant adjudged by the late Dev Anand had reached Upendra. I was in New York then. Later, I was asked to accept the project, which I did. Upendra had already announced my name even before he had seen me in person. He saw me only on the day of my shoot, and it went onto become a pathbreaking film,” she remembers.

She is also an academician, as she spearheaded the first MBA programmme in media and entertainment at Manipal University with the guidance of noted film director Subash Ghai, wherein she has taught most of the students from the state.

Born and brought up in Africa, Chandini did some of her education in Mysore and then went onto settle in New York along with mother, who works for a prestigious UN body. “Most of my friends felt I was taking a wrong step by letting go of a nice and easy life with a diplomat visa in the US. I somehow felt that I should take up roles in India, which I do not regret. I could not have asked for more in life after all the love showered upon me as an actress,” Chandini reveals.

On how she manages to look so wonderful, she says workouts have helped her keep negativity at bay. “It might sound weird, but I wanted to be a good housewife. When I get upset, I love cooking as it’s a good stress buster,” Chandini laughs, adding that she is single right now.

She will also be seen doing an international film, half of which will be in Hindi and the other half in English and a Tamil one too. Chandini does not want to take up direction, as it requires a lot of preparation along with other requirements. A spiritual person, Chandini will be seen with Dhanush in Khaidi, which is expected to hit the screens by this year end.