Raveena Tandon: ‘My Fans Have Kept Me Alive And Breathing’

‘My fans don’t mind me hamming.’

Fresh from the success from Welcome To The Jungle, Raveena Tandon is busy shooting for a new show in London.

In the second part of the interview with Rediff Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya, Raveena discusses her children Rasha and Ranbirvardhan’s dreams, and adds, “Welcome To The Jungle opened last Friday, and Rasha’s Telugu debut, Srinivasa Mangapuram, is expected to release on July 9. When she was born, I never imagined something like this ever happening.”

‘I stood with her in front of the mirror and instantly, the tears stopped’

What was your reaction to your daughter Rasha’s decision to follow you into the film industry?

My story was actually very different from Rasha’s. By now, everyone knows that I never wanted to be an actress and only entered the industry by default.

(Smiles) In Rasha’s case, she’s loved the mirror and the camera since she was a baby.

When she was six months old, I was sitting with her on my lap one day when she started crying. I went and stood with her in front of the mirror and instantly, the tears stopped, and she started admiring herself.

(Laughs) I have a video of this which I showed my mother, telling her, ‘Isme koi purani roohi ki aatma hai (There’s the spirit of an old soul in her).’

As she grew older, Rasha wanted me to film her and then would excitedly say, ‘Mamma, show video, show, show…’

Jokes apart, she is a hard working girl.

So, she has always wanted to be an actress?

Well, her dream was to become a singer.

A rock star!

From the time she was two years old, Rasha would loudly and randomly start singing. She learnt to play the piano and the guitar.

Even before she got a film offer, there was speculation on social media that Raveena Tandon’s daughter was following her mother into the movies.

It was only when Gattu (filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor) saw her on Instagram and approached Rasha for Azaad that we actually sat her down and asked her if she was interested in movies.

Surprisingly, she said she was.

Anil (Thadani, husband) and I asked her if she wanted to wait for other offers — there was another script too — but she loves animals and so wanted to start with Azaad because it had a horse.

‘Two of our films, with us as the leading ladies, are arriving around the same time’

Is she happy with her chosen career?

Very happy! But while Anil and I want her to follow her passion, education for us is a non-negotiable pre-condition. She is studying business management in the UK and we have told her clearly that we will not let her drop out.

(Laughs) Agar kuch nahin hua (if movies don’t work out), she will at least be qualified to take charge of papa’s company.

Any plans of sharing the screen with your daughter sometime soon?

It’s too premature and I am intentionally keeping myself away. I want Rasha to stand on her own feet, do her own thing.

Hopefully, she will win the love of people, and if she does, that would be great. Then, if in the future, something solid comes our way, why not?

Strangely, two of our films, with us as the leading ladies, are arriving around the same time.

Welcome To The Jungle opened last Friday, and Rasha’s Telugu debut, Srinivasa Mangapuram, is expected to release on July 9.

When she was born, I never imagined something like this ever happening.

‘My son has no interest in acting’

Is your son Ranbirvardhan also interested in acting?

No. We had hoped kuch to aaya hoga hum logon ka par uska ek haddi bhi filmi nahin hai (he would have inherited something from us, but he doesn’t have a single filmi bone in his body).

Ranbir is studying law in the UK.

You are one hell of a gorgeous family and you, in particular, haven’t changed much since the Phool Aur Patthar days. Aapki khubsoorti ka raaz kya hai?

First, genetics, then, modern science.

My dad (filmmaker Ravi Tandon) was glowing till the end and I’m lucky to have inherited his skin texture.

I never had acne or any kind of skin blemishes. And now, you have various kinds of skin and laser treatments.

At the end of the day, we are movie stars who have to face the camera and look good, right?

Meanwhile, Welcome to the Jungle is going great guns. So, when is your next visit to a real jungle? What draws you to them?

Jungles are my Zen place and Indian jungles have the most exciting wildlife.

Both Rasha and I enjoy photography and that makes these safaris even more enjoyable. We document some of our moments on our Instagram page.

When she was 17, Rasha got a certificate for best picture at a tiger photography exhibition in Jaipur.

Sitting in the jungle, your camera focused on a magnificent animal, be it a tiger, a leopard or a nilgai, is not just enthralling, but almost akin to meditation.

Talking of jungles reminds us of your web series Aranyak…

It’s one of my favourites.

‘They are giving the KGF franchise a break for Yash to do something different before…’

You have an interesting platter now with a mix of everything, from OTT to films.

I’m thankful to Mahadev, sab unki kripa hai (it’s his blessings).

Also, the industry for all the offers. And my fans who don’t mind me hamming.

Hamming? Raveena Tandon, you are a National Award winner!

(Laughs uproariously) God has been kind, my fans, or rather my well-wishers, have been kind.

They have kept me alive and breathing.

Among your recent characters, KGF‘s fiery politician Ramika Sen is a household name today. Is Chapter 3 in the pipeline?

It will be. But right now, they are giving it a break for Yash to do something different before coming back to the KGF franchise.

Are you doing other films down South?

Yes, I have finished two Telugu films.

There’s Lawyer with Vijay Antony, and one with Suriya. I enjoy working down South. Lovely people, and the biggest USP is that I can eat South Indian food for at least a month. It was just idli, dosa, sambar during these shoots and it was bliss!

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff