She’s one actor who refuses to play by the rules in a male-dominated Bollywood. From being the Tu cheez badi hai mast mast… girl of ’90s to becoming a mother of two daughters at 21 and then a naani (grandmother) at 46, actor Raveena Tandon lives life on her own terms. Back then, when her contemporaries indulged in celebrity air kissing and dissing, Raveena at the peak of her career adopted two girls. Both her daughters (Pooja and Chhaya) are moms now. Raveena also has two children with husband Anil Thadani. “Family should become the wind beneath a woman’s wings,” says Raveena, who made a grand entry at the 52nd International Film Festival of India (IIFI) in Goa.
Not someone who will mince words, Raveena is grace and beauty personified. When she speaks, everybody around her listens in rapt attention. Be it her crew members inside the film studio or her fans outside. Ask her what inspired her to play the role of Kasturi Dogra, a sincere cop, a doting mother and a loving wife in the much-awaited Netflix crime thriller series Aranyak, and Raveena says, “Kasturi is a fierce, independent and a brilliant cop. She tries to balance her professional and personal life. Through this character, I want to give the message to our viewers that we see women in different forms. Be it women in uniform or women in corporate sector, they are all trying to balance their work and family lives. I know women in our society can rise even higher if her family becomes the wind beneath her wings.”
Dressed in an elegant black dress, the gorgeous actor says, “My debut movie Patthar Ke Phool (1991) was with Sippy Films. My OTT debut with Aranyak (2021) is again with the Sippys. I anticipate a repetition of the occurrence follows.”
For someone who was labelled as an ‘arrogant star’ by a section of the media in the ’90s, just because she didn’t pander to the whims and fancy of some male co-stars. Some glitzy mags and tabloids had even written uncharitable things about her, but Raveena ignored all of it. She stayed focused on her work and two daughters. “My family has been my biggest support system,” she says. Raveena feels that due to the OTT platforms and other creative mediums, female-centric movies are now getting prominence. “Be it Highway or Padmavat, women are leading in films now,” she adds.
Way before it become fashionable for our celebs to escape in private yachts and charters to Alibaug and Goa, one would spot Raveena centering her downtime around her daughters on a beach, collecting seashells and sweet nothings. However, this time around, the lovely lady is thrilled about her forest adventure. Her Insta post says: “This jungle party was everything - thrilling, experiential, and a never seen before trailer launch event. Aranyak ne toh iss jungle pe kabza kar liya, agla shikaar aapka screen hai. Taiyaar hai aap?” Well, we have saved the date Raveena. First day, first show!
