(August 15, 2023) Sakshi has been a movie buff since childhood. The fast-paced storytelling and emphasising creative visuals always fascinated her. Growing up, her connect with movies only grew deeper. They entertained her when she was bored, encouraged her when she was bogged down, and made her laugh when she was sad. It remained that way even after the ‘Captain Cool’ of Indian cricket told her “Let’s get married!”
Sakshi Dhoni, wife of Indian cricketer, MS Dhoni.
“High quality, clean entertainment through thought-provoking stories of the common person interests me. That’s exactly the vision behind Dhoni Entertainment Private Limited (DEPL) and our first movie, Let’s Get Married (LGM),” smiles Sakshi Dhoni in an exclusive conversation with Global Indian. Sakshi, the wife of Indian cricket great MS Dhoni, recently made her debut as a producer with LGM. Going by reports, the movie released on July 28, was well received by the audiences.
Silverscreen debut
“LGM is on a serious topic, and our approach was to portray awkward moments in the movie straight up, without any concessions, and then break through them via high-quality individual interactions, and comedy,” informs Sakshi.
She says the generational gap between parents and their children, and the society of the past and present is what makes the subject really hard. “Most parents might have had arranged marriages when they were young. In the present times, love marriages are more common and the marriage age has increased by about 10 years. Back then, the brides were often not working women,” she says of the storyline while pointing out that young people choose to make informed decisions.
LGM is written and directed by Ramesh Thamilmani and produced by Dhoni Entertainment.
Teething troubles
Because LGM was the first, the difficulties were foreseen, says Sakshi. “We were prepared, but not for a few surprises. The first challenge was to identify a story that would appeal to people of all ages. Our goal was to create an understandable script with a message,” she says. Finding a talented cast who fit their roles, directing, and, lastly, funding and distribution were all challenges, informs the debutant film producer.
The Chennai connection
Sakshi says Mahi (MSD) is emotionally connected to Chennai which is why they wanted the first film in Tamil. “It (Chennai) was a natural choice. We consider Chennai as our second home. As a family, we have received lots of love and support from Chennai,” informs Sakshi, who studied at Welham Girl’s School in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and did her BA Hon in Hospitality Management from IHM Aurangabad (Taj Institute) which is affiliated to Huddersfield university. She also runs the Sakshi Rawat Foundation which supports orphans and ‘Winning Way Dhoni Foundation’ – educating children in Ranchi.
Animal lover
Sakshi Dhoni has a way with animals. She loves communicating with them for hours at a stretch and does all it takes to give them the best life. For her, these simple pleasures are priceless.
She is in her element when she is in the company of her seven dogs, all rare breeds, who miss her terribly when she is not around. Her bunnies and Guinea pigs — a variety of them of different sizes and colours — become dull when she isn’t around. It’s the same with all members of her menagerie, which includes human-friendly birds, cows and goats. The list of animals who live with the Dhonis is really long. “Once we have more space, we will decide which ones to get and welcome them to the Dhoni family too,” quips Sakshi.
Back in the day, her love for animals inspired her to become a veterinarian. But that did not happen as destiny had altogether different plans for her. “I adore animals, and I am fortunate to have an animal-loving family,” says Sakshi, who plans to establish an animal shelter in the near future.
On Cricket
Sakshi admits that despite growing up in a cricket-crazy nation, she knew very little about the game before getting married. “I accompanied Mahi (MSD) to the majority of his matches, although I did not travel for the matches when I was expecting Ziva (daughter). I’ve seen all his matches. Yes, I do get nervous during his matches,” she smiles.
Her favourite match? “Like everyone else, I loved the 2011 World Cup final,” she says. MSD-led team India had beaten Sri Lanka in the finals to win the ODI World Cup.
MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara posed with the World Cup trophy before the 2011 final.
So who is the boss at home?
“A husband claims his wife will decide because she is the boss of the house and he does not want to say nay outright. That is exactly how I feel. Household decisions are primarily mine; others are made together, and when it comes to cars and bikes, no one can dispute with the boss (MSD),” shares Sakshi, who was born in Guwahati, Assam. MS Dhoni’s love for cars and bikes is well-known. While he is often seen riding superbikes and driving luxury and vintage cars in and around Ranchi, his fans got a peek into his mind-boggling collection only recently. “He gets whatever he fancies,” says Sakshi of her husband’s passion.
The Dhoni family
Sakshi’s daily schedule is no different from that of any mother or wife in an Indian household. “I wake up early to prepare Ziva for school. Once she leaves, I go around the house to ensure everything is in order,” informs Sakshi. Making phone calls and attending to other daily tasks comes next.
She says Ziva has a lot of questions about the environment and animals and both her parents try to answer them. “Currently, Ziva seems interested in becoming a Naturalist,” says Sakshi. In the evenings the Dhoni family is just like everyone else. “We chitchat and watch movies or TV shows,” she says.
Sakshi Dhoni with her daughter Ziva.
In the limelight
Life as the wife of a famous personality like MS Dhoni can come with its own share of challenges. “Life is full of challenges for everyone. The only difference is that you are always in the limelight, and constantly scrutinised, and have very little personal space,” she says.
Initially, it bothered her. “Now, it’s just a part of our lives,” feels Sakshi. She had interned at Taj Bengal, Kolkata after completing her hotel management from an Institute in Aurangabad, where she met Dhoni.
Future plans
“Our current focus is DEPL (Dhoni Entertainment Private Limited). We are currently working on two additional scripts. There are a couple business opportunities, but nothing has been decided yet,” she says, indicating that the Dhonis might venture into other businesses as well in future.
A traveller and foodie
Sakshi Dhoni is an avid traveller. Though she has travelled across the world, there are two places she is desperate to go. “I really enjoy travelling. I want to go to Norway and Austria,” informs Sakshi, whose favourite place to unwind with friends is Dubai.
In India, she wishes to explore Uttarakhand, her home state. “Being from the state, I would like to visit heavenly locations like Munsiyari, Binsar, Mukteshwar, Kasar Devi, Kedarnath, and Gomukh,” she smiles. And although she likes to try different cuisines when she’s travelling, at home, she prefers the staple – dal, and rice!”
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