How does one begin an interview with Rakhi Sawant? After all, all the adjectives that have been bestowed upon her — sexy, bold, bindaas — don’t seem enough to describe the person she really is.
So what’s the real Rakhi Sawant like. “Rakhi jo karti hai, apne dum pe karti hai. She is bold, beautiful, practical and honest,” says the actress without batting an eye. Honesty, yes, can be Rakhi’s middle name. After all, haven’t we heard her take potshots at everybody in the industry? But that’s because Rakhi isn’t scared to call a spade a spade.
“Why should I be scared of saying the truth? Main apne desh mein apni zubaan bolti hoon. Kuch to dum hoga mujhme that people are taking me seriously,” she says.
It’s this quality of hers that made Zoom zero in on Rakhi as the host of its new spicy Bollywoodbased programme called The Rakhi Sawant Show (starting July 12, Saturdays at 7.30 pm). “My voice is the voice of truth and that’s what this show is about. It will give you real gossip, in true Rakhi style,” she promises. That’s because she will be the same chatpati bindaas Rakhi we’re familiar with but with a new glamourised look. “It’s a very polished look. Zoom is turning me from a masses girl to a classes girl,” she says.
When one talks about Rakhi Sawant, the one thing that comes foremost to the mind is the Rakhi-Mika kissa kiss ka. But the item girl vehemently denies that it’s the unfortunate incident that actually worked wonders for her. “It’s not because of Mika, it’s the step I took against him that got me the publicity,” she clarifies. But Rakhi is sick of people saying that whatever she does is for publicity. “Just because I come from a poor background or don’t have a Godfather, people think they have the right to say anything. Shah Rukh kare toh reality, Rakhi kare toh publicity! My soul is a good soul. I believe in my Ganpati Bappa and my Jesus."
Now some people may find it difficult to digest that the hot ‘n’ sexy Rakhi can be such a strong believer in God. “Why,” she shoots back, “When Baba Ramdev can wear a dhoti and deliver sermons on God, why can’t I wear skimpy clothes and believe in God?” Rakhi’s clear in her mind about herself. “I move with the times. I give people what they want,” she says. Now that’s about work. But the one thing people are interested in knowing about is Rakhi’s personal life. So when is the bindaas babe going to settle down? “Till the time Abhishek (Awasthi) settles down, I won’t marry,” she says. Coming from Rakhi, that’s a tame answer. She adds quickly, “Actually I have no idea if I will marry Abhishek. He’s a nice guy and he loves me but people tend to change when they become something in life. If he shows me attitude, then I’ll leave him!”
TOI