Taruni was an Indian model and child artist born on May 14, 1998, in Mumbai. She had big dreams from an early age and began climbing the ladder of success in the entertainment industry while still a young child. Her mother, Geeta Sachdev, was a member of a devotional group at Mumbai’s ISKCON Radha Gopinath Temple. Taruni herself participated in various plays organised during festivals at the temple.
She entered the entertainment industry when she was just five years old. Over the years, she appeared in television advertisements for several brands, including Rasna, Colgate, ICICI Bank, Reliance Mobile, Gold Winner and Shakti Masala. Her innocent smile and the memorable line “I Love You, Rasna” in the Rasna advertisement made her a familiar face among viewers. She eventually became one of the highest-paid child artists of her time.
Taruni also had the opportunity to work alongside several prominent Bollywood personalities. She appeared in films and advertisements with leading actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Karisma Kapoor. She played a role alongside Amitabh Bachchan in the film ‘Paa’ and also participated as a contestant in Shah Rukh Khan’s television show ‘Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?’
In addition to her work in Bollywood and television commercials, Taruni worked in the Malayalam film industry. She made her big-screen debut in 2004 with the Malayalam film ‘Vellinakshatram’, marking another milestone in her early career.
May 14, however, was not just Taruni’s birthday; it also became the day she lost her life. On that day, she was travelling to Nepal with her mother, Geeta Sachdev, when their Agni Air aircraft, identified as CHT, crashed. Both Taruni and her mother died in the accident, cutting short the life of a child artist who had already achieved considerable recognition at the age of 14.
Following their deaths, some of Taruni’s friends shared accounts of her behaviour before the journey, suggesting that she might have had a premonition that something unfortunate could happen. According to them, her farewell that day was unlike anything they had experienced before.
Before leaving for Nepal, Taruni reportedly hugged everyone and said, “Today, I am meeting all of you for the last time.” Although she had made the remark jokingly, her friends later recalled that she had never hugged them in that manner or said goodbye so unusually before any other trip.
Her friends also recalled that she had jokingly asked, “What will happen if the plane crashes during the journey?” She then told them, “I love you,” before leaving.
Taruni took off on what would become her final journey, never to return. Despite her brief life and career, the child artist who became widely known as the ‘Rasna Girl’ continues to be remembered by fans for her memorable advertisements, screen appearances and the promise she showed at such a young age.
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