Both have taken the nation by storm, not only with their good looks; but also their love and knowledge of the gentleman’s game. They also share similar success stories from their beauty pageant backgrounds. But the two gorgeous Extraaa Innings IPL anchors, Rochelle Rao and Pallavi Sharda also have one more common association: their Chennai connect!
While Rochelle is a true-blue Chennaiite, who was a regular with namma ooru’s modelling and nightlife scene before her stint as a reality TV star catapulted her into nationwide stardom — Pallavi (who is from Australia) reveals to us that she actually did quite a bit of schooling as a kid in Chennai, and has fond memories of the city shaping her as a classical dancer.
The two ladies have come a long way since — Rochelle now shuttles across the country for various assignments; whereas Pallavi is on the cusp of international cinema, acting in projects across Bollywood and Australia. What does the duo have to say about their IPL experiences?
Pallavi Sharda:
My association with cricket goes back a long way, as I grew up in Australia, and my elder brother used to play the sport. Dance and cricket were two major conduits for me! I have fabulous memories of going to the grounds with my family, whenever India toured Oz — and cheering madly for the Indian team. That’s why I was glad to be part of the IPL when the opportunity came; thankfully, I didn’t have any film commitments during this period.
More on my connection with the sport: at Melbourne’s annual Moomba Festival last year to celebrate the city’s diversity, I was crowned queen along with legendary cricketer Shane Warne, who was king! There are many other players I share friendships and bonds with — all of which has continued over the course of this IPL adventure too. I’ve also acted in an Australian film, Save Your Legs! which is a cricketing tale, inspired from a documentary of the same name.
It’s also given me a chance to travel across the country and experience all the cultures in different cities; but it is unfortunate that Chennai is not among them this year! I was actually a school student there for a few years, and had an amazing time learning Bharatanatyam there.
As far as films are concerned, I’m acting in the Hollywood flick Lion, with the likes of Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, etc. I love balancing my filmography across different industries, and wish to continue in the same vein.
Rochelle Rao:
Since I’d already been part of the IPL earlier, I can confidently say that this time around, I’ve matured and evolved a lot as a performer who is part of the entertainment industry. Being a live anchor is a challenging process, and it’s exciting that I get to do it on one of the biggest stages of them all. My professional relationships with the players have improved as well, which I think shows on-screen!
Being a Chennai girl, it is disappointing though, that CSK is not a part of this season — I don’t have any sporting allegiances honestly, but now I’ve lost the chance to visit home and my family often, as part of work! Having said that, I even miss the Rajasthan Royals as well, but I’ve gotten used to their absence by now. Thanks to my boyfriend Keith Sequeira, I have a base in Delhi as well nowadays!
As far as work otherwise goes, I’m going to be part of The Kapil Sharma Show soon, which is exciting! There’s certainly more to come on that front as well.
