SHE was born in Fiji and grew up in Nadawa before migrating to New Zealand.
Today, she works as a Journalist for the BBC, yes ‘The BBC!’
That is an achievement many can only dream of but for Vandhana Bhan it is a well-deserved reality that any Fijian can accomplish.
All it takes is hard work and investing in quality education.
“Don’t wait for opportunity to come walking to you on a silver platter, you have to go and seek it yourself,” she told The Sunday Times.
The Fiji girl
Vandhana Bhan, descends from sugarcane farmers on her mother’s side and from Arya Samaj pundits on her father’s side.
Her great-grandfather, Shiu Datt Sharma, migrated from India to Fiji in the late 1800s to help spread the Arya Samaj movement and became an important figure in Fiji’s Indian community.
Today, a few of her relatives still live in Samabula, where some of her descendants resided when they settled in Fiji following the end of the indentured system.
“My dad was raised in Kinoya and worked in handicraft from the age of 17. I think that’s where I got my creative spirit from,” she said.
“He’d always help me with my art projects growing up and I’m trying to convince him to get back into carving again! A lot of our families have a piece of his art in their homes.”
Raised in Tavua, her mum was a high school chemistry and maths teacher who went to Jasper Williams High School in Lautoka.
“Mum’s drive and steadfastness in academics is definitely the reason why I was so focused on studies growing up.”
The young Vandhana grew up in Nadawa, where her family lived until she was 4. Her parents, Rakesh and Mohini Bhan migrated to New Zealand in 2001, following George Speight’s civilian coup.
“Mum was working at USP and so I was going to the daycare there with her a few times a week. I’m an only child and love the relationship mum, dad and I have as three tight best friends!
She was raised in a Christian household and attended Dudley Methodist Church in Suva.
The BBC journalist lives and works in Singapore. Three years prior to that she had moved to London with a desire to travel, beach-hop across the Mediterranean, and soak up the rich history of the European continent.
Proud of her Fiji roots
Despite her meteoric rise to global success in journalism, Vandhana says being Fiji-Indian is an identity she proudly carries with her.
“I’m Fiji-Indian through-and-through. I’m not sure If my parents would’ve left if there wasn’t a coup, and of course that move to NZ was essentially for my opportunities after all, which have paid off big time.
“We’ve always held the sentiment that if we were to be born again anywhere else in the world, we’d forever choose Fiji.
“It shaped the beautiful culture I carry so proudly today. So much so that, heading into my wedding in a few years’ time I’m looking at how to incorporate Fijian themes, from the tropical flowers to having a more Fijian design in my henna.”
Vandhana’s Fijian background goes beyond just rhetoric. She loves everything Fiji – from culture to art and even to food.
“My favourite dessert is mum’s pineapple pie, my favourite food is dad’s Fiji-style lamb curry, I only crave Fiji’s Maggi noodles when sick or tin mutton curry. Christmas means dad’s palusami, I will only eat Fiji’s style of bhuja, and in New Zealand I would travel (sometimes an hour) from the North of Auckland to the South just to get my chicken chopsuey and Fiji ice-blocks.”
As soon as she lands in Fiji the first thing she eats is cream buns from the Hot Bread Kitchen and spicy curried nakai (kai or freshwater mussels ) with roti.
“Fiji has a great community spirit no matter where we go, we live harmoniously with all religions and celebrate each other’s cultures, and we raise our boys and girls more equally than many other countries I believe – although I agree there’s still some way to go here.”
From childhood dreams to real passion
Vandhana’s passion for journalism started early.
She remembers feeling mesmerised by the confidence of presenters of BBC News in Fiji.
In fact, when her family was leaving for New Zealand, her dad’s deceased eldest brother, Joe, said to her, “now you’re leaving, I won’t see you again,”.
Prophetically, little Vandhna replied, “don’t worry you’ll see me… on BBC news!”. That may have been an innocent joke but it did come true.
“I think that level of ambition definitely shocked my parents back then and we probably all shrugged it off but here I am, and while he’s passed on, I’m sure Joe Dada is watching me on BBC somewhere! I guess,” she says.
“You could say a seed was born and it kept growing from that young age. I’ve always loved current affairs, and questioning (arguing) against injustice. I grew up religiously watching the news every night at home, and enjoyed writing and telling a story.
“So, picking journalism as a teenager for my university course was a no-brainer. I did have the goal of reporting for BBC one day but didn’t think things would fall into place so soon.”
Her role at BBC
Vandhana’s official role at BBC is ‘journalist’. She gets to produce but also report and present bulletins.
Her day-to-day job involves writing television scripts, editing video, creating graphic explainers, and directing the output of the live news bulletin from inside the gallery.
“Telling the news is about telling other people’s stories so this is a key part of what I do every day. And of course being a 24/7 news channel we need a lot of content!
“Often with the BBC a lot of what we write and produce is completely new and is then picked up by other news agencies around the world, so there’s a lot riding on us at the BBC to be accurate, fair and balanced in our reporting because it’s such a trusted organisation.”
Vadhana has done some work on the Israel-Gaza war and Russia-Ukraine war, she travelled around the UK in the lead up to the elections to cover how different constituencies were feeling, she’s produced on Downing Street in London, travelled to Washington DC to help produce BBC coverage of the funeral of President Jimmy Carter and the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.
While in London she got to cover many New Zealand and Pacific Island stories, such as the King’s visit to Samoa, the New Caledonia protests, and also that suspected alcohol poisoning at a Fiji resort.
“It was a chance for me to explain just how lucrative and important tourism is for Fiji. Every time we report for TV it doesn’t stop there, there’s an online piece to write, thinking about how it can be told on social media, usually we’d join a few different radio programmes to discuss the story and maybe even one of our many podcasts!
“The BBC is a beast of an organisation with so many outlets and it’s been great expanding my television journalism to other avenues as well.”
When not working and travelling, Vandhana enjoys working with clothes; sewing, crocheting or knitting.
“I feel I always need a creative outlet. In fact, I decided if I wasn’t going to enjoy journalism at university I’d switch to studying fashion.
Advice to Fijian youths
Vandhana’s advice to young Fijians is to embrace education
She says education is what got her family to New Zealand, and her to work for the BBC.
“Fiji has quality education, and that can open so many doors as the rest of the world has the opportunities for you to grasp. Education gives you freedom to go where you want and it’s something no one can take away from you.”
“The one thing I always say to everyone is ‘don’t wait for the opportunity to come walking to you on a silver platter, you have to go and seek it yourself’. Don’t just wait for the job to be advertised, reach out to companies who you want to work for and make yourself known to them.
Looking back, Vandhana’s realised she’s journeyed a long way. She vividly remembers walking into Radio Tarana in NZ as a 19 year old with a fresh CV, still at university, asking for any journalism work.
Because Salman Khan was in town and Radio Tarana was hosting him, she thought this could be her way to meet him!
“I didn’t meet him unfortunately but, I did get to interview many other Bollywood celebrities and it’s that one move that catapulted me in my journalism career, all the way here to the BBC.”
“I had an online presence with Radio Tarana that TVNZ then saw and poached me for a job. Radio Tarana took me with open arms and nurtured me and I know so many other businesses will too if you show grit and passion in what you want to do. So get your name out there and be seen!”.
In NZ, Vandhana grew up in Tauranga, New Zealand and went to Bethlehem College from kindergarten right through till high school. She completed her Bachelor of Communications from Auckland University of Technology.
Vandhana presenting for BBC News Channel in October this year.
Picture: SUPPLIED
Vandhana (middle) and her parents in Fiji earlier this year having lunch at Hotel BulaBard in Nadi. Inset: Vandhana’s final day at BBC in London in June, after having worked there for nearly three years. Picture: SUPPLIED
fiancée Tiaan, Vandhana, dad and mum on a trip to Morocco in 2024. Picture: SUPPLIED
Vandhana reporting on Fiji for BBC News Channel last year. Picture: SUPPLIED
Vandhana’s final day at BBC in London in June, after having worked there for nearly three years. Picture: SUPPLIED
Shot of Vandhana presenting for BBC News Channel in October, where she announced King Charles stripping Andrew of his royal ‘Prince’ title. Picture: SUPPLIED
