Tejal Sinha
For actress Sandeepa Dhar, Raksha Bandhan has always been more than just a thread tied on the wrist. It’s a festival of laughter, mischief, and deep-rooted love that has only strengthened over the years. Looking back at her journey with her brother, she shares a treasure trove of childhood stories, evolving traditions, and the unique bond that defines their relationship today.
Sandeepa vividly recalls her earliest Rakhi memory, when she was just four or five years old in Delhi. “It was like a rakhi festival meets family reunion! With a big fat celebration and 5-6 cousin brothers, I was basically running a small rakhi business, collecting 10 bucks from each brother plus chocolates. I felt like I’d hit the jackpot with my 60 rupees!” she laughs. Elaborate spending plans on toys and more chocolates were quickly made, but her mother stepped in with an important life lesson. “My mom introduced me to my first financial advisor: a piggy bank. There went my dreams of chocolate empire domination!”
Though the ritual itself has remained the same, the way she and her brother celebrate has evolved with time. “We’ve upgraded from ‘annoying siblings’ to best friends who still annoy each other,” she says fondly. The boy who once pulled her hair is now her biggest cheerleader, therapist, and life coach. Yet, some things never change. “He still operates like a chocolate thief with a PhD in sneaky snacking!”
What she misses most from childhood is the cousin brigade. Back in Delhi, Rakhi celebrations were nothing short of a grand extended family affair. “We had this whole extended family rakhi party. But when we moved to Bangalore and eventually Mumbai, it’s just me and my brother, which is sweet but lacks the chaos of 10+ cousins running around. I miss the organized chaos — it was like a mini festival with built-in entertainment!”
Of course, with siblings come mischievous memories, and Sandeepa’s brother was no less. “He was basically a cake serial killer! He’d perform surgical strikes on my birthday cakes, carefully extracting bites and then playing pastry surgeon, rearranging the cream like he was covering up a crime scene. I became like CSI: Birthday Edition, always catching him red-handed… or should I say, cream-handed! Parents still laugh about my detective skills versus his cake crimes.”
When it comes to gifts, her brother continues to surprise her every year — but not with material things. “Every year he surprises me by just showing up! This man has turned punctuality into an art form. He’s flown 18 hours sometimes, treating continents like speed bumps just to tie rakhi with me. His gift isn’t what’s in the box – it’s literally him being there, jet-lagged but grinning!”
School days also gave Sandeepa a unique Rakhi strategy. “Oh yes, my school strategy! I turned rakhi into my personal boy-repellent system. ‘Sorry, you’re my brother now’ became my go-to relationship exit strategy.”
Over the years, her personality has also transformed within their sibling dynamic. “I’ve evolved from drama queen to zen master! I used to be the one throwing tantrums, now I’m the voice of reason. Though I reserve the right to occasional dramatic flair — it keeps things interesting!”
The Dhar siblings also had a knack for teaming up strategically. “We were like a two-person political party — coalition government when we wanted something from parents, complete opposition when it came to the last piece of chocolate! Strategic allies by day, sworn enemies over snacks.”
Distance and schedules have never been a hurdle. Her brother, she says, has turned into her personal Rakhi GPS tracker. “No matter where I’m shooting, he shows up like some festival-following nomad. I could be on the moon and he’d find a way to get there with a rakhi in hand!”
If she had to sum up their bond in a film title, she wouldn’t hesitate: “Fast & Furious – he’s fast at stealing my food, I’m furious about it, but at the end of the day, it’s all about family! Plus, he literally travels at furious speeds across time zones just for rakhi.”
Communication between them, like most siblings, is its own brand of love language. “Our love language is memes and forwards! We’re basically running a private comedy show for each other – except the audience is just us two, and we think we’re absolutely hilarious.”
Reflecting on what she’s learned from him, she smiles. “That consistency beats grand gestures! He’s been consistently stealing my chocolates for two decades – now that’s dedication! But seriously, he taught me that showing up matters more than showing off. While I’m busy planning elaborate surprises, he just shows up, whether flying across continents or listening to my daily drama.”
Protective is an understatement when it comes to her brother. “He’s like my personal bouncer, but with better advice and worse dance moves.” As for secrets, Sandeepa keeps them tightly guarded. “Can’t tell you – it’s a secret, after all! What happens in sibling vault, stays in sibling vault!”
She also acknowledges how deeply her brother has shaped her personality. “Absolutely! I was basically his mini-me growing up — copying his music taste, hobbies, everything. We bonded over WWE and Formula 1, I learned cricket because of him. Thanks to his friends, I learned how to hang with the older crowd. He accidentally trained me for Bollywood networking without knowing it!”
If she could relive one Raksha Bandhan, she’d go back to those Delhi days. “When I was 4-5 — peak innocence, maximum chocolate collection, and that magical moment when 60 rupees felt like winning the lottery! Plus, all the cousins were there for maximum chaos and fun.”
When it comes to gifting, practicality wins in her family. “We’re practical siblings – we give each other money! Why guess what the other wants when you can just fund their shopping spree?”
The two even have their own theme song. “Yes! There’s this song called ‘It’s a Challenge’ — it’s basically our theme song. Every time life gets tough, one of us starts humming it and we both crack up!”
And despite her busy schedule, there’s one thing that hasn’t changed. “Nope! My brother has turned rakhi attendance into his personal Mission Impossible. Tom Cruise wishes he had this level of commitment to impossible tasks!”
For Sandeepa Dhar, Raksha Bandhan is a celebration of more than just sibling love — it’s a reminder of shared laughter, unshakable support, and a bond that has withstood childhood cake crimes, teenage squabbles, and now, long-distance flights across continents.
