Rini Simon Khanna is a well-known Indian news broadcaster of Doordarshan during the 1980s-90s. She started working with All India Radio at just the age of 13 years. Later, she became an English newsreader for national news at DD. She is the face behind the English voiceover of Delhi Metro Station.
Wiki/Biography
Rini Simon (the name before marriage) was born in 1964 (age 59 years; as of 2022), in Kerala. She studied in various schools across India due to the transfer of her father as an Indian Air Force Officer. In 1978, she completed her schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Delhi. She completed her secondary education at The Air Force School, in New Delhi, in 1981. She did her Bachelor of Arts in English Honors, in 1984, from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University. She pursued a degree of Master of Arts in History (1984-1986) at Delhi University. From the year 1984 to 1985, she has done a post-graduate diploma in Journalism from The Indian Institute of Mass Communication. In 1984, she gave an audition for Doordarshan and got selected as a newsreader.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 4″
Hair Colour: Brown
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
Rini Simon’s father was an Indian Air Force Officer. There is not much information about her mother. She has an elder brother.
Husband & Children
Rini got married to Deepak Khanna who is Delhi based businessman. She has a 29-year-old son, Sahil Khanna, with her husband.
Rini Simon Khanna with her husband, Deepak Khanna, and her son, Sahil Khanna
Career
Newsreader
All India Radio
Rini was 13 years old when she started working with All India Radio. She did many programs on the radio like request shows, music shows, roving microphone, in the Groove, Yuva vani, etc. In 1982, she started reading the primetime national news on All India Radio.
Doordarshan
In the year 1984, Rini got selected as an English newsreader at Doordarshan and started her news-reading with Parliament News. By the end of her third bulletin of Parliament News, a critic, Amita Malik, noticed her, and put her on National News along with the anchor Tejeshwar Singh. She worked with Doordarshan till 2001, for almost 2 decades.
Facts/Trivia
- In school, she compèred Air Force Day Parade Show attended by the then-Prime Minister.
- Rini used to commentate Independence Day, Republic Day, etc. for television and radio.
- She is a voiceover artist as well and has given her voice to many documentaries, ad films, etc.
- It has been 40 years since she started her career as a media person.
- The voice heard by everyone while traveling in Delhi Metro is given by Rini Simon Khanna, along with the male voiceover by Shammi Narang.
Rini Simon Khanna with Shammi Narang
- While completing her graduation, she tried to join Doordarshan but got rejected, because she was not a graduate at that time.
- She is a follower of a spiritual author, Sadhguru. She visits the Isha yoga center every year.
Rini Simon Khanna with Sadhguru
- Rini is fond of reading and has a large collection of books.
- When Rini Simon changed her name after marriage to Rini Simon Khanna, there was a rumor among people that she got married to tv actor Mukesh Khanna.