Making a name in the film industry is no joke. However, Taruni Sachdev was able to achieve this with just a few films. According to reports, the actress became a much-loved name in the film industry with just four films to her name. Fans expected to see much more of her; she tragically passed away on her 14th birthday. And while the tragedy itself was shocking, what further left everyone stunned was the revelation that she allegedly had predicted her death days before it happened.
Taruni Sachdev had allegedly predicted her own death
According to reports, Taruni Sachdev’s death came as a massive shock to her fans and friends. She was aboard the ill-fated Agni Air Dornier passenger aircraft that crashed on May 14, 2012, while trying to land at an airport in northern Nepal. The crash killed 15 out of 21 passengers on the flight.
However, what further left everyone in shock was the fact that she died on May 14, 2012. Taruni Sachdev was born on May 14, 1998, and lost her life on her 14th birthday. According to a BBC report, the aircraft had hit a hillside while attempting to land at Jomsom Airport. The plane, which carried 18 passengers and three crew members, was travelling from Pokhara to Jomsom. Among those killed were 13 Indian passengers and two Nepali pilots.
A 2012 Indian Express report revealed that three Indians, two Danish nationals, and a Nepali air hostess survived the crash, which occurred 25 minutes after it took off from Pokhara. Taruni Sachdev reportedly had no interest in going to Nepal and only agreed because of her mother’s insistence. However, before the journey, she bid an “emotional” goodbye to her friends.
According to reports, Taruni hugged her friends and told them it was the last time she would get to see them. One of her closest friends told NDTV that Taruni Sachdev meant it as a joke. However, the universe had a cruel sense of humour and turned it into destiny. She was quoted as saying:
“Before she left for the Nepal trip, Taruni hugged all her friends and said to them, ‘I’m meeting you guys for the last time’. When we asked her why she said that, she laughed and said she was just joking, and meant that she was seeing them for the last time before leaving for a month-long trip to Nepal and then to Bangalore.”
Another friend of the young actress revealed that before leaving, Taruni had shared a text among her friends that she was going for a short trip to Nepal and Bangalore. She said she would miss all of them and even uploaded a picture of herself with her mom. She hugged all her friends and patched up with those with whom she had “minor altercations” in the past few months.
Taruni was in the ninth grade when the incident happened. Before taking off, she messaged her best friend, which, in hindsight, seemed to predict what was about to happen. Reportedly, right before boarding the plane, Taruni messaged Tanushkha Pillai, jokingly asking what would happen if the aircraft crashed. “I love you,” Taruni texted Tanushkha before switching off her phone. Unfortunately, she never read the “I love you too” message that Tanushkha sent back.
Taruni Sachdev had a short but impactful career
Born on May 14, 1998, to Mumbai-based industrialist Haresh Sachdev and his wife, Geetha Sachdev, Taruni reportedly attended Bai Avabai Framji Petit Girls’ High School. In just 14 years, she appeared in more than 50 ad films and rose to acclaim among audiences for her commercials. One of Taruni’s core memories was her ad film for Rasna alongside Karisma Kapoor.
The ad earned her the moniker of “Rasna Girl”. Apart from that, she also appeared in commercials for Colgate, ICICI Bank, Saffola, and Kesar Badam Milk, among others. In film, she won hearts with her debut alongside Prithviraj Sukumaran in Vellinakshatram. Her next film came with Amitabh Bachchan in 2009. The young actress played a school kid in R Balki’s Paa.
Interestingly, another five-year gap separated Paa and her next film, Rudran’s Vetri Selvan (2014). However, Taruni was not fortunate enough to catch her performance in the Tamil film in theatres, as she died just a month before its release.