IAS officer and Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe recently opened up about an unusual memory from the years he spent preparing for the UPSC Civil Services examination. During an open interview titled Unstoppable Tukaram at Pune’s Balgandharva Rangmandir, the bureaucrat recalled how his friend Pankaj, who later became a Customs Commissioner, once left him worried by suddenly bursting into tears after learning about Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit’s marriage to Dr Shriram Nene.The incident took place around 1998-99, when the two were preparing for the UPSC Mains examination. Their lives revolved around books, with both friends studying late into the night and sleeping only for a few hours.“We both used to study late into the night. He would sleep an hour or two later than me. I used to sleep around two or three in the morning, while he would sleep around three or four and wake up a little late,” Mundhe recalled.
‘I don’t know whether there were actual tears’
Mundhe said he would resume studying after waking up, often sitting in a corridor between his room and the library. One morning, at around 10 or 10.30 am, Pankaj approached him from behind, put his arm around his neck and started crying.For Mundhe, the sight was alarming, especially because his friend offered no immediate explanation.“Seeing him cry shocked me. I asked him what had happened. But he kept crying. I don’t know whether there were actual tears in his eyes, but he was making those weeping sounds,” Mundhe said.The IAS officer admitted that he began fearing that something terrible had happened to his friend.“I asked him what happened and started getting scared. He suddenly came to me while I was deeply involved in my studies and started telling me something,” he recalled.
The reason? Madhuri Dixit had got married
Pankaj eventually asked Mundhe whether he had read the newspaper that morning. Mundhe checked it but initially failed to understand what could have caused his friend such distress.The mystery was finally solved when Pankaj revealed the reason behind his tears.“He said, ‘Hey, Madhuri got married!’ I said, ‘So what?’ Then he replied, ‘Madhuri Dixit…’” Mundhe recalled.The unexpected revelation brought laughter from the audience. What Mundhe had assumed was a serious personal tragedy was, in fact, his friend’s reaction to the marriage of Madhuri Dixit.The actress married cardiovascular surgeon Dr Shriram Nene in 1999. At the time, she was one of Hindi cinema’s biggest female stars, having delivered popular films such as Tezaab, Dil, Beta, Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! and Dil To Pagal Hai.
Mundhe keeps his own Bollywood crush a secret
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The story naturally led to a more personal question for Mundhe: which Bollywood actor or actress did he admire during those days?Mundhe, however, decided that revealing the answer might not be the wisest choice.“As for who I liked, I won’t dare to reveal that right now. My married life is going smoothly,” he quipped.His response once again had the audience laughing.During the interaction, Mundhe also spoke at length about his childhood, education, UPSC journey and career in public service, while also offering glimpses into the lighter moments from his years of preparation.
