The Woman behind the Man

Dr. Vijeeta Pendharkar is the youngest of the three children of S P and Jayashree Pendharkar. Vijeeta’s father is a retired Indian Air Force wing commander and is currently working in the Central Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (CIINS). Her mother is a dietician, while her elder brother, Abhijeet, is a major in the Indian Army. Another brother is working in Dubai. Vijeeta, 29, did her Masters in Surgery (General) in November 2002 from Government Medical College, Nagpur. She is currently practicing in the prestigious St. John Hospital in Bangalore.

Born in a Maharashtrian family, Vijeeta had a 'mixed' upbringing. She spent her early childhood at various places in the country where her father was posted during his stint in the Indian Air Force. Her father retired after she passed her Class 10 examination from Bal Bharati school in Delhi. The family then settled down  in  Nagpur,  and  Vijeeta  has  been  leading  a  typical   “upper middle-class” life since.

A simple and studious girl, Vijeeta continued her education at the Shri Shivaji Science college in Nagpur, which is known to produce meritorious students. True to the institution's tradition, Vijeeta came out with flying colours and faced no problems getting into the city’s Government Medical College. She went on to earn her MS (General) from the same institution in November 2002. The Pendharkars are proud of the fact that their only daughter got through purely on merit. "Her scores were such that she faced no problems whatsoever," said her beaming father.

Vijeeta is a busy professional and has little knowledge of cricket. In fact, she did not even know that the wicketkeeper changes ends after every over. It was only when she watched a few matches during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa that she came to know about it. Although cricket does not interest her, Vijeeta watched some games to find out more about what her hubby does at work.

Vijeeta and Rahul, tied the nuptial knot in an arranged marriage on May 4, 2003. Both are true professionals and know to maintain the balance between their career and family. Nonetheless, Vijeeta is still trying to cope with all the media-attention she has been getting lately. After all, a celebrity life isn’t always easy. 

Sources: Rediff and IndiaTimes