Tuesday 5 September 2017

C is for... Chandra, Haresh and Gita


Parents of Rani Chandra, who became a companion to Sarah Jane Smith. Haresh was appointed new headmaster to the school which Luke Smith and Clyde Langer attended. Rani was also a pupil. Haresh owed his new job indirectly to Sarah, as the previous incumbent had been a disguised Slitheen which she helped destroy.
The Chandras moved into Maria Jackson's old house, opposite Sarah's on Bannerman Road in Ealing. Rani wanted to be a journalist, and this led to her involvement with Sarah, Luke and Clyde. Gita had her own florist business - "Bloomin' Lovely" - with a shop in the area.
Whilst Haresh liked Luke due to his academic excellence, Clyde did not fare so well, and the headmaster regarded him as a joker who would not amount to much. He was impressed by his artistic skills, however, as these led to his class winning a competition to go and see the Mona Lisa when it went on show at the National Museum.


Rani generally managed to keep her alien-fighting secret from her parents, even when Gita was abducted by the Bane Miss Wormwood. Things changed when Sarah suggested Gita sell flowers and plants to a nanotechnology company. She dragged Haresh along on a commando-florist mission - to set out plants at the company's HQ without permission. This coincided with the arrival of a squad of Judoon - witnessed by the Chandras. They also saw Androvax of the Veil when the Judoon took him into custody. Gita later joined a group of UFO obsessives - BURPSS - a meeting of which Haresh was dragged along to. This coincided with the return of Androvax. The android Men in Black caused Gita's memory of her alien encounters to be wiped. Haresh never liked to admit to them anyway.


In an alternative timeline created by the Trickster, Rani encountered her mother when she was a slave labourer, who had never met her father or had a daughter.

Played by: Ace Bhatti (Haresh), Mina Anwar (Gita). Appearances: SJA 2.2 Day of the Clown (2008) to SJA 5.2 The Curse of Clyde Langer (2011).

  • Gita's final appearance is in SJA 5.1 Sky.
  • Mina Anwar guested in Series 10 Doctor Who episode Smile - getting killed before the opening credits. 
  • BURPSS stood for the British UFO Research and Paranormal Studies Society.
  • Rani will get her own A to Z entry - under 'R'.

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