Raveena Tandon

Early life and background

Tandon was born on 26 October 1972 in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) to filmmaker Ravi Tandon and Veena Tandon. Tandon is a niece of character actor Mac Mohan and thus a cousin of Manjari Makijany, his daughter. She has a brother Rajiv Tandon, who was married to actress Rakhee Tandon. She is also a cousin of actress Kiran Rathod.

Tandon received her education at Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu and attended Mithibai College in Mumbai. Tandon started her career as a model, but during her internship at Genesis PR, she got her first film offer.

In an interview with Rediff Tandon stated, "I never thought I would become an actress. I was an intern at Genesis PR, helping [ad-man] Prahlad Kakkar, when friends and people around me started complimenting my looks. But [photographer-director] Shantanu Sheorey gave me the first break. He called and said he wanted to shoot with me. That was the time when models were becoming actors. I refused film offers. Prahlad kept saying millions of people are waiting for this chance and you keep refusing it. So I thought there is nothing to lose. Then Patthar Ke Phool happened."

Career

Main article: Raveena Tandon filmography

Early work (1991–1993)

Tandon made her acting debut in 1991, with the film Patthar Ke Phool opposite Salman Khan, which was a box office hit. The film earned her the Filmfare Award for Lux New Face of the Year. This was followed by a series of box office failures including Jeena Marna Tere Sang, Divya Shakti, Parampara and Ek Hi Raasta among others.

Commercial success and recognition (1994–1999)

The year 1994 proved to be a turning point in her career with ten releases.Of these Dilwale opposite Ajay Devgn, Aatish: Feel the Fire opposite Sanjay Dutt, Laadla opposite Anil Kapoor, and Mohra opposite Akshay Kumar, emerged as the highest grossing films of the year. Andaz Apna Apna opposite Aamir Khan underperformed at the box office, but developed a cult following over the years since its release. Among these, Mohra became Tandon's breakthrough particularly due to her dance in the songs, "Too Cheez Badi Hain" and "Tip Tip Barsa Pani".

In 1995, Tandon starred opposite Shah Rukh Khan for the first time in Zamaana Deewana; the film failed to do well. Her 1996 film Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi opposite Akshay Kumar, was a commercial success. That year, she also appeared in the song "Shahar Ki Ladki", in Rakshak alongside Suniel Shetty. Tandon appeared in two successful films in 1997: Ziddi opposite Sunny Deol and Ghulam-E-Mustafa opposite Nana Patekar. Her other releases that year Daava and Vinashak – Destroyer – failed at the box office.

Tandon further achieved success as a leading actress in 1998 with two films opposite Govinda: Dulhe Raja and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, both of which emerged as the highest-grossing films of the year. She received praises for her comic timing. That year, Tandon had several other commercial successes such as–Salaakhen opposite Sunny Deol, Gharwali Baharwali opposite Anil Kapoor and Aunty No. 1 opposite Govinda. However Keemat – They Are Back and Barood opposite Akshay Kumar, and Pardesi Babu opposite Govinda failed at the box office.

In 1999, Tandon appeared opposite Govinda in Anari No.1, a commercial success. She then appeared in the Kannada film Upendra opposite Upendra, which also became a box office success. A critic from Sify stated, "Raveena is adequate in her role and adds glamour to her role with rich costumes.". Tandon then received praises for her portrayal in Shool opposite Manoj Bajpayee, which later became a cult film. Anil Nair of Rediff.com was appreciative of Tandon's "subdued and convincing no-frills job".

Critical acclaim, hiatus and television (2000-2015)

In the 2000s, Tandon ventured into art house productions, to learn a realistic way of acting, and rejected several mainstream film offers. Tandon worked in films such as Bulandi (2000) and Aks (2001), which won her critical acclaim. She won several awards as well as the Filmfare Special Performance Award for her performance in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Aks. A critic from The Hindu stated, "Raveena comes up with a gripping portrayal of a bar girl".

Her years in the industry paid off when she won the coveted National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kalpana Lajmi's Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence (2001), where she played a battered wife to an abusive husband. She surprised critics and audiences with her performance in the film and received appreciation for her work. Critic Taran Adarsh said: "Raveena Tandon lends credibility to the role of a battered wife and walks away with the honours. The pathos she conveys through her expressions makes you realise that she's a performer of substance".

Since then, she has starred in a number of critically acclaimed films, such as Satta (2003) and Dobara (2004), but has not had much box office success. Her role as a middle-class woman thrust into the world of politics in the former was praised. Critic Taran Adarsh wrote: "Raveena Tandon delivers a bravura performance. The actress takes giant strides as a performer, giving the right touches to her character. Here's a performance that's bound to be noticed". Her role as a schizophrenic in Dobara was also praised with one critic saying: "Raveena is in sync with her character, playing her part with elaan". Tandon also worked in the Sahara One television series Sahib Biwi Gulam, based on the 1953 Bengali novel Saheb Bibi Golam by Bimal Mitra. Her only release in 2006 was Sandwich which opened to poor reviews and reception. After doing several films, she took a break from actively appearing in films. During this period, her only major appearance was in the Telugu film Pandavulu Pandavulu Tummeda opposite Mohan Babu, which was a box office success.

During her break from films, Tandon actively appeared on television. In 2014, she judged season 1 of CEO's Got Talent on CNBC TV18 with Mahesh Bhatt and Raj Nayak. She later hosted Issi Ka Naam Zindagi and Simply Baatien with Raveena. In 2015, she made a comeback to Bollywood in longtime friend Anurag Kashyap's magnum opus Bombay Velvet. Playing a sultry jazz singer, her brief performance was highly praised by critics. Following this, Tandon became a judge for Sabse Bada Kalakar and Nach Baliye 9.

Intermittent work and streaming projects (2017-present)

Following a three year hiatus from films, Tandon had two releases in 2017. In Maatr, she played a mother who seeks revenge for her daughter's rape. Udita Jhunjhunwala noted, "Tandon internalises the horror and conveys the pain through her eyes, which turn fiery once she tastes first blood. She’s most convincing as the caring mother and teacher." It emerged a moderate success at the box office. Her next release of the year was Onir's Shab, where she plays a socialite. In 2019, she appeared in the song "Sheher Ki Ladki" from Khandaani Shafakhana. In 2021, Tandon made her web debut with Aranyak, where she played a police officer. Shubhra Gupta stated, "Raveena is unafraid of appearing uncouth and crude, and is able to toughen up and soften when the occasion demands, even if the unsophisticated accent slips".

Tandon made her debut in Kannada films with KGF: Chapter 2, playing the Prime Minister. A commercial success, it became third highest-grossing Indian film of all time. Janani K felt that she delivers an "earnest performance". In 2023, she played a gynaecologist whose husband cheats on her in One Friday Night, opposite Milind Soman. Abhishek Srivastava noted, "Raveena's portrayal of Lata is commendable with a sincere performance, but one wonder why she didn't lend her voice to the film."

Tandon appeared in two films and one series in 2024. She first played a lawyer opposite Manav Vij in Patna Shuklla. In her next film Ghudchadi, she appeared opposite Sanjay Dutt, playing a mother who falls in love with her daughter's boyfriend's father. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. She then appeared in the series Karmma Calling, playing the lead. In 2025, she played a police officer's wife opposite Suniel Shetty in Inn Galiyon Mein.

Off-screen work

Tandon was the chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India from 2003, but from 2004 the actress began to get complaints that she did not attend the organisation's meetings and that she was not involved with the activities set up by the society. In September 2005, Tandon resigned from her post citing personal reasons.

In November 2005, Tandon sued the websites, Shaadi.com and Shaaditimes.com, claiming that they were using unauthorised images of her to promote the site. She also sued the owner of Satyanet Solutions, as they claimed that Tandon and her husband had met through the website.

In November 2002, Tandon sang to support People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. She has posed in many advertisement campaigns joining the likes of John Abraham, Shilpa Shetty and Amisha Patel. On the issue of cows being slaughtered for their skin, she said "Their abuse at the hands of corrupt skin and meat traders must be stopped".

As part of her charity work, she appeared in the music video "Betiyaan" (Save the Girl Child), sung by Shankar Mahadevan, Sunidhi Chauhan and Sonu Nigam. In 2023, she became the first person from the entertainment industry, chosen to be a delegate at W20, the Women's empowerment engagement wing at G20 New Delhi summit.

Personal life

Tandon adopted two girls, Pooja and Chhaya, as a single mother in 1995 when they were 11 and 8-years-old, respectively. During late 90s, Tandon was dating actor Akshay Kumar and had announced him as her boyfriend. Although they were engaged, they later parted ways.

Tandon began dating film distributor Anil Thadani, during the making of her film Stumped (2003). Their engagement was announced in November 2003. She married Thadani on 22 February 2004 in Jag Mandir Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan according to Punjabi Khatri and Sindhi traditions. Tandon gave birth to her daughter Rasha, in March 2005. In July 2008, she gave birth to her son Ranbirvardhan.

In the media

Tandon has often been regarded as one of the most popular and great actresses of the 1990s. Devesh Sharma of Filmfare stated, "Tandon was one of the most vivacious actresses to have graced the silver screen." Rediff.com noted, "Ravishing and Raveena are synonymous with each other." Outlook India noted, "Tandon's filmography boasts of commercial entertainers as well as offbeat movies." Times Now termed the actress "ravishing and rebellious". Throughout her career, Tandon was widely known for her dance numbers. Praising her dance, Filmfare noted, "A natural dancer who radiated oomph by the bucket, Raveena literally set the silver screen on fire with her moves".

Tandon termed her performance in Shool and Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence, as the films that changed the perception of the audience. She added, "People took me seriously as an actor after Shool and Daman. I was being perceived only as a 'pretty face' until these films showcased my acting capabilities." One of the highest paid actress of the 90s, Tandon appeared on Box Office Indias "Top Actresses" list of 1994. She appeared on Forbes India Celebrity 100 list of 2019, ranking 89th, with an estimated annual income of . Rediff.com placed Tandon in their "Best Bollywood Actresses" list of 2002 and 2021. Times of India placed her at 10th position in its "50 Beautiful Faces" list. Tandon is a celebrity endorser for brands including iAir, Lux, 7 Up and Emami. In 2016, Rapper Badshah used Tandon's name in his song "Kar Gayi Chull", from the film Kapoor & Sons. In 2022, she was placed in Outlook Indias "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list. In 2023, the Government of India honoured Tandon with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, for her contribution to Indian cinema.

Awards and nominations

Film awards

Other recognitions

• 2023: Tandon received the Padma Shri for her contribution in the field of arts.

References

References

1. (27 February 2025). "Raveena Tandon's daughter Rasha says it was 'complete and utter madness' growing up with actor's adopted daughters". The Indian Express.
2. "Silver Screen Queens: Ranking top 10 bollywood actresses with most successful films since 1990". News18.
3. (27 January 2023). "EXCLUSIVE {{!}} Raveena Tandon on Padma Shri honour and the success of SRK's Pathaan". Firstpost.
4. "Top Actresses". Box Office India.
5. (21 December 2021). "'Aranyak' season one review: Raveena Tandon aces Netflix whodunit, aided by the fantastic writing". The Hindu.
6. "Raveena Tandon". Rediff.com.
7. (16 May 2019). "Raveena Reveals Her True Age {{!}} Raveena Tandon{{!}} JioTalks". JioTalks.
8. "'Khud-daar' director Ravi Tandon, father of Raveena, passes away". IANS.
9. (8 September 2012). "Raveena and cousin Manjari have their films screened on the same day". Mid-Day.
10. (4 May 2017). "Rakhi Vijan: I am keen to get married again but i don't want to have kids". The Times of India.
11. (11 January 2014). "PICS: इस राजस्थानी ने अपने अंदाज से साउथ को बनाया अपना दीवाना". [[Dainik Bhaskar]].
12. (3 November 2014). "Modelling can't make anybody a successful actor, says Raveena Tandon in Indore". Hindustan Times.
13. (25 June 2004). "Raveena Tandon: I am like a dog, faithful and loyal". [[Rediff.com]].
14. "boxofficeindia.com".
15. "Patthar Ke Phool (1991)".
16. "Jeena Marna Tere Sang (1992)".
17. "Divya Shakti (1993)".
18. "Parampara (1993)".
19. "Dilwale (1994)".
20. "Aatish (1994)".
21. "Laadla (1994)".
22. (26 October 2019). "Happy birthday Raveena Tandon: Her 5 top dance numbers that made her the mast-mast girl".
23. "1994 box office report".
24. Chintamani, Gautam. (12 April 2014). "From flop to cult film: The journey of Andaz Apna Apna". Firstpost.
25. (9 March 2009). "Raveena Tandon, Mohra". Rediff.com.
26. "1995 box office report".
27. "KKK: A Hit".
28. "New Straits Times".
29. (31 December 1996). "Movie review: Rakshak, starring Sunil Shetty, Karisma Kapoor, Sonali Bendre".
30. "Ziddi: A Hit". 1997 box office chart.
31. Chatterji, Shoma A.. (12 March 2010). "Man of TODAY". [[The Indian Express]].
32. "1998 box office chart".
33. (17 December 2015). "Bollywood Shakespeares". [[Springer (publisher).
34. Chopra, Anupama. (22 June 1998). "Absurd Comedy". [[Living Media]].
35. "Barood (1998)".
36. Taliculam, Sharmila. (10 April 1999). "Entertainer No 1". [[Rediff.com]].
37. (17 February 2021). "Raveena Tandon: KGF 2 will be my second Kannada film after Upendra 22 years ago". Hindustan Times.
38. "Review: Upendra". [[Sify]].
39. (20 March 2021). "Manoj Bajpayee: 'Shool' has become quite a game changer".
40. Nair, Anil. (2 November 1999). "A fuzzy vitality".
41. "Raveena wins Special Performance award". The Times of India.
42. (20 July 2001). "Film Review: Aks". [[The Hindu]].
43. (28 March 2001). "Raveena wins National Film Award". BBC News.
44. "Raveena steals the show".
45. (1 September 2002). "All fire & rain ahead". Deccan Herald.
46. "Raveena's performance in Satta".
47. "Raveena's performance in Dobara".
48. (29 May 2022). "Television: फिल्मों की तरह टीवी पर नहीं चला था सोनाली बेंद्रे का जादू, ये हीरोइन भी रही थीं असफल". Amar Ujala.
49. "Disaster for Sandwich".
50. [http://www.indianexpress.com/news/raveena-tandon-teams-up-with-mohan-babu-for-telugu-film/1119164/ Raveena Tandon teams up with Mohan Babu for Telugu film - Indian Express]
51. (6 February 2014). "Pandavulu Pandavulu Tummeda Turns A Big Money Spinner At Box Office". Oneindia Entertainment.
52. Bolly, Freak. (9 March 2020). "Raveena Tandon and Mahesh Bhatt becomes judges of 'CEOS of India Got Talent'.".
53. (17 February 2012). "Raveena Tandon to host Issi Ka Naam Zindagi". The Times of India.
54. Maheshwri, Neha. (12 October 2014). "Raveena Tandon: My show connects with people from all walks of life". The Times of India.
55. (22 April 2015). "Revealed: Raveena Tandon's Bombay Velvet Look".
56. (4 April 2017). "Sabse Bada Kalakar judge Raveena Tandon: Judging a kids reality show is easy as they are uncomplicated". [[Indian Express Limited]].
57. (7 August 2019). "PHOTOS! Nach Baliye 9: Govinda reunites with Raveena Tandon on Salman Khan's show, wife Sunita accompanies too". Daily News and Analysis.
58. Jhunjhunwala, Udita. (22 April 2017). "Maatr movie review: Riveting as Raveena Tandon's performance is, the plot is terribly convenient". Firstpost.
59. (8 April 2017). "Maatr is not made just for Indians, it is for global audience: Michael Pellico".
60. (23 January 2015). "I Play a Diva in Shab: Raveena Tandon".
61. (5 July 2019). "Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon in new 'Sheher Ki Ladki' bring back the 90s". The Statesman.
62. (11 December 2021). "Aranyak review: Raveena Tandon is at the front and centre of this inconsistent Netflix series".
63. (26 October 2020). "Raveena Tandon's look as Ramika Sen in 'KGF 2' released". The News Minute.
64. (9 June 2022). "KGF Chapter 2 Closing Collections : యశ్ కేజీఎఫ్ ఛాప్టర్ 2 క్లోజింగ్ కలెక్షన్స్.. ఎన్ని వందల కోట్ల లాభం అంటే..". News18 Telugu.
65. (14 April 2022). "KGF Chapter 2 Movie Review: Yash and Sanjay Dutt steal the show in this terrific action flick".
66. (23 July 2023). "Director Manish Gupta on One Friday Night: Me and Raveena Tandon had some creative differences".
67. "One Friday Night Review : Friday night dud: Where is the zest?". The Times of India.
68. Chatterjee, Saibal. (29 March 2024). "Patna Shuklla Review: Raveena Tandon Tries Her Best To Propel The Film But It Is A Losing Battle". [[NDTV]].
69. "Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon team up for Ghudchadi".
70. "Ghudchadhi Review: Sanju-Ravs Reunite For Old Times' Sake".
71. "Disney+ Hotstar announces Raveena Tandon-led series 'Karmma Calling'".
72. (15 December 2023). "Raveena Tandon Headlines Disney+ Hotstar 'Revenge' India Adaptation 'Karmma Calling' (EXCLUSIVE)".
73. (14 March 2025). "'Inn Galiyon Mein' movie review: In the lanes of love and tolerance". The Hindu.
74. "{{sic". [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)]] website.
75. (7 January 2006). "Raveena Tandon resigns from Children Film Society of India". Indiafm.
76. (7 January 2006). "Exclusive - Raveena Tandon files case". Indiafm.
77. "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals".
78. "Raveena Tandon joins PETA; speaks about cow being slaughtered for their skin". The Times of India.
79. (10 June 2013). "Musical campaign for girl child".
80. "Raveena Tandon becomes the first person from the entertainment industry to be a delegate at W20". [[The Times of India]].
81. (23 November 2020). "India to host G20 Summit in 2023, year after 2022 meeting in Indonesia: Grouping's declaration". Firstpost.
82. (27 January 2022). "Raveena Tandon was scared to talk about her adopted daughters because she was unmarried". Outlook India.
83. (19 May 2023). "Raveena Tandon says she is friends with Akshay Kumar: I think of him very highly". India Today.
84. (13 May 2023). "Raveena Tandon talks about her broken engagement with Akshay Kumar in viral video, says 'He wanted...'". News18 India.
85. Karishma Loynmoon. "Spouse Special: Anil Thadani on wife Raveena Tandon". Filmfare.
86. (25 February 2004). "Raveena Tandon's wedding will now be a movie".
87. (21 May 2023). "Raveena Tandon shares pics from her daughter's graduation dinner, fan calls Rasha 'Twin Tandon'". Mid Day.
88. (16 March 2005). "Raveena gives birth to baby girl". Rediff.com.
89. (4 January 2019). "Raveena Tandon shares daughter's boxing video, says no one messes with her little Mary Kom". Hindustan Times.
90. "Raveena, Karisma to Sonali: 90s Bollywood actresses, then and now".
91. Devesh Sharma. "Raveena Tandon: Best dance numbers of the 90s queen".
92. "Star of the Week: Raveena Tandon". Rediff.com.
93. (10 April 2023). "Raveena Tandon: I've always tried to do films which have social relevance". Outlook India.
94. (4 April 2023). "Life, Padma win, pay disparity, social issues: Raveena Tandon speaks it out - Exclusive Interview". Times Now News.
95. (26 October 2021). "Andaz Apna Apna to Daman: Actress Raveena Tandon's top five films". Hindustan Times.
96. "Raveena Tandon recalls how Shool and Daman proved she was more than a 'Beautiful Face'".
97. "Top Actresses". Box Office India.
98. "2019 Celebrity 100". Forbes India.
99. "Actresses Best and Worst, 2002". Rediff.com.
100. "The BEST ACTRESSES of 2021". Rediff.com.
101. "Photos - 50 Beautiful Faces: 100 years of Indian Cinema". [[The Times of India]].
102. (6 September 2021). "iAir ropes in Raveena Tandon as their brand Ambassador".
103. "As a celebrity, there is certainly a moral responsibility: Raveena Tandon".
104. (6 April 2017). "When Raveena Tandon thanked Badshah for using her name in 'Kar Gayi Chull' song". Mid Day.
105. Sharma, Sudhirendar. (16 August 2022). "75 Bollywood Actresses Who Ruled The Silver Screen With Grace, Beauty And Talent".
106. (December 2023). ["Exclysive - Padma Shri honour encapsulates my entire body of work: Raveena Tandon"](https://theprint.in/features/padma-shri-honour-encapsulates-my-entire-body-of-work-raveena-tandon/1338264/%3famp }}{{Dead link). The Print.
107. "Patthar Ke Phool Awards: List of Awards won by Hindi movie Patthar Ke Phool". The Times of India.
108. (10 April 1995). "40th Filmfare Awards: A Dream Come True!".
109. "Raveena Tandon: Awards & Nominations".
110. "Raveena Tandon wins the National Award".
111. "Check Out The Complete Filmfare Awards Winners List From 1953 to 2019". filmfare.com.
112. (19 April 2017). "People who don't win create controversy: Raveena on Akshay's National Award debate".
113. "Raveena Tandon: List of awards and nominations". The Times of India.
114. "69th & 70th Annual Hero Honda BFJA Awards 2007". Bfjaawards.com.
115. Patil, Vimla. (16 February 2003). "Satta promises stunning reality bites!". The Tribune.
116. (22 December 2022). "Filmfare OTT Awards winners list: Rocket Boys dominates, Gullak, Tabbar and Panchayat also win big".
117. (15 August 2022). "Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Awards 2022 full list of winners: Ranveer Singh, Shefali Shah and Vaani Kapoor win big, 83 best film". Hindustan Times.
118. (12 December 2022). "ITA Awards 2022 complete winners list: Varun Dhawan, Nakuul Mehta, Pranali Rathod, The Kashmir Files win big". Indian Express.
119. (29 September 2022). "Photos - Lokmat Stylish Awards 2022".
120. "Check Out The Complete List of Winners of Bollywood Hungama Style Icon Awards".
121. (5 October 2024). "Bollywood Hungama India Entertainment Awards 2024: Panchayat and Heeramandi win big at the star-studded event".
122. (10 April 2023). "Exclusive - Raveena Tandon says 'it was all worth it' after receiving Padma Shri in front of her kids and husband".