Rajeshwari Sachdev (born 14 April 1974) is an Indian actress and singer who has worked in Hindi cinema and television. She came to wider notice for her performance in Shyam Benegal's film Sardari Begum (1996), and is also remembered as a long-running co-host of the Zee TV musical programme Antakshari.
| Born | 14 April 1974 |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Spouse | Varun Badola |
| Notable film | Sardari Begum (1996) |
| Notable television | Antakshari (Zee TV, 1994–2001) |
| Major award | National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress (1997) |
Sachdev played the title role's younger counterpart in Shyam Benegal's Sardari Begum (1996), a film exploring the life of a thumri singer. Her performance won her the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 1997 ceremony.
From 1994 to 2001, Sachdev co-hosted Antakshari on Zee TV alongside Annu Kapoor. The musical game show, based on the traditional Indian parlour game of the same name, became one of the longest-running music programmes on Indian television during the 1990s.
In 2005, Sachdev appeared with her husband, actor Varun Badola, on the dance reality competition Nach Baliye, which paired real-life couples from the television industry.
She has also worked in the crime-based television series Rihhaee, in which she portrayed an activist.
Sachdev's career bridges parallel cinema and mainstream Indian television. Her recognition for Sardari Begum placed her among the actresses associated with Shyam Benegal's body of work on women-centred narratives, while her tenure on Antakshari made her a familiar face to a generation of music television viewers in India.