Tara Deshpande was born on December 8, 1975, in Bombay, India, into a Maharashtrian family. She pursued her education at the Cathedral and John Connon School and later graduated with a double major in Economics and Political Science from St. Xavier's College. Before entering the entertainment industry, she worked as a model for various brands and was one of the first VJs on MTV India. Tara gained fame for hosting the show "Kab Kyon Kahaan" on Zee TV in the early 1990s. In 2001, she married Daniel Tennebaum, an American citizen and finance professional who graduated from Harvard Business School. The couple had a traditional Jewish wedding in Minneapolis, followed by a Hindu ceremony in Mumbai in January 2002. Tara currently resides in both Boston and Mumbai, where she is also known for her work as a food writer and chef.