Sandy Gandhi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sandy Gandhi
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Sandy "Hatmama" Gandhi
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| Born |
Sandra Aranha
28 January 1959 New Delhi, India
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| Died | 1 February 2017 (aged 58) |
| Occupation | Stand-up comedian, newspaper columnist |
Sandy Gandhi, whose real name was Sandra Aranha, was a funny Australian comedian and writer. She was born on January 28, 1959, and passed away on February 1, 2017. Sandy lived in Byron Bay, a town on the eastern coast of Australia. Because Byron Bay is the most eastern point in Australia, she liked to call herself "Australia's Most Easterly Indian." She also inspired a song called "One Perfect Day" by the band Little Heroes.
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Early Life and Travels
Sandy Aranha was born in New Delhi, India. She spent a lot of her childhood in Bangalore. When she was 12 years old, her family moved to Melbourne, Australia.
At 21, Sandy moved to London. There, she worked as a tour operator, which meant she got to travel all over the world. When she wasn't performing comedy or writing, Sandy also worked as a carer. She helped people who had conditions like dementia and schizophrenia.
Comedy Career
Sandy Gandhi was well-known for her stand-up shows. She often performed in the Northern New South Wales area of Australia. In 2008, she was also part of the famous Melbourne Comedy Festival.
Her Comedy Style
Sandy's comedy was often called "ethnic humour." She used funny observations about life and sometimes joked about Indian stereotypes. She also talked about the large number of Indian-Australians living in Northern New South Wales. This type of comedy is popular in Australia because it has many different cultures.
In early 2008, Sandy went back to India to perform. She even had a show in her childhood city of Bangalore. Since she lived near a town called Bangalow in Australia, she playfully called her Indian tour "From Bangalow to Bangalore."
Writing and Books
Besides comedy, Sandy Gandhi also wrote a funny newspaper column. It was called "Enlighten Up" and appeared in The Pulse. This was a weekly entertainment section of The Lismore Northern Star newspaper.
Her first book, also titled Enlighten Up, came out in August 2008. This book was a collection of her newspaper columns. Sandy joked that the book was "given birth to" when it was released. Enlighten Up was published by Melbourne Books in Australia.
TV and Film Appearances
On February 4, 2009, Sandy appeared on the Australian TV show Australia's Got Talent. This show features people with different skills and talents.
She was chosen to move on to the semi-finals, which aired on March 11, 2009. In 2016, Sandy also acted in a short film called Spice Sisters. This film was written and directed by Sheila Jadayev.
Death
Sandy Gandhi passed away suddenly at her home on February 1, 2017. Reports said she was talking to a friend on the phone at the time. Just a few days before, she had celebrated her 59th birthday. She had also attended a screening of her film Spice Sisters at the Flickerfest festival in Mullumbimby.
