In the recent past, there was little of Raveena Tandon to be seen. Her
contemporaries, the Urmilas, the Manishas, the Karismas all were in the news; she wasn't.
But then grit always tells. And with Dulhe Raja, her latest film with Govinda, the
girl has made a lot of news. The pairing has clicked well and, she's made her point.
Again.
Everyone is raving about Tandon's new
look. She also has films like Vidroh, Dus, Rajaji, Officer and
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan lined up, opposite heavy-weights like Akshay Kumar, Sunil
Shetty, Sunjay Dutt, and Govinda. Raveena promises to give the competition a run for its
money.
Despite her split with Akshay Kumar, the film Barood also has had a decent start.
Excerpts from an interview with the girl who now looks fresh for a lot of challenges.
Did she really
plan this ravishing new Raveena persona?
Yeah, everybody has been complimenting me on my new look. But it hasn't
been a conscious effort. I'm still the same. I guess everyone thinks that this is such a
major change because I haven't had a release for two years. So
people are noticing the difference.
Any
particular reason for the break?
No, it was quite unplanned. I was doing 4-5 shifts everyday and getting
nowhere. I was fed up of the usual song-n-dance routine. I wanted to do something
substantial, something which gave me more scope to prove my talent as an actress. I had
signed a lot of films, but I gave them up and also decided not to sign any new films.
Then unfortunately my marriage rumours
with Akshay erupted and threw everything out of gear. Suddenly my life was not in my
control. Producers thought I was getting married and they panicked. They were scared to
sign me. I had to fight all that, give major denials. Today producers have realised that
I'm committed to my work and I've taken off again. I have some very good films on hand and
I'm hoping for better ones to come along.
You blame
your present predicament on the marriage rumours. But you yourself added fuel to the fire
by signing films only with boyfriend Akshay Kumar. In fact, producers became wary because
of this...
That's not true. We'd signed all those films much before we started going
around. After the success of Mohra, people started casting us together. We started
seeing each other after a year of Mohra's release. In fact, since we've started
going out we haven't signed a single film together. Barood is over now and after
this Akshay and I have no films together. Keemat, Daava,
Barood, all are over, and we just have one more film together -- Vidroh .
That too we'd signed much before we started seeing each other. I can't be blamed if people
come to their own conclusions.
It's not
going to be easy to make up for the lost time and catch up with the Manishas and Karismas.
There's nothing to catch up. I've been lucky that for two years I haven't
a release and these girls have had 20 between them, and I'm yet counted in this lot. God
has been good to me. And why should I compare myself to anyone else? Everyone is good in
their own way. Each one has a different identity. See I'm not pushy. I
don't suck up to people for professional gain.
Also I don't believe in the numbers
game. The position changes Friday to Friday. Earlier a Sridevi or a Madhuri could hold on
to the coveted position, it's not so now. I've been around for five years and I've had a
steady growth. Heroines may have reached No 1 and gone to No 10 but my graph has been
steadily on the rise.
Two years! Tell me which other heroine,
who hasn't had a release, would be still remembered by the public? I'm lucky that even the
media has stood by me, y'know, in the sense that I've never faded out. I don't want to
reach the top in a flash and then slide down. I'd rather climb slowly and steadily.
Unlike other
heroines you seem quite content with what you have. You lack the drive, the burning desire
to be the best.
One feels that because I don't tom-tom about myself or my work. I let my work speak for me. If there wasn't a burning ambition in me I
would have vanished from the scene a long time ago. I don't believe in bragging and then
falling on my face. Today Karisma, Manisha, Kajol and Tabu are seeing a good time.
When I had Dilwale, Mohra,
Laadla, Andaz Apna Apna, which other heroine was as successful, tell me? I
was the only successful heroine around.
When I started off, I joined this line
as a hobby. That changed a long time ago. Today I'm careful about how I look, select my
roles with care... Yes, I don't have the killer instinct to get to the top by hook or by
crook. I can't be manipulative or harm somebody else for personal gain.
Is that the
only way to reach the top? 
Yeah, I have seen actors manipulate and reach where they are today. I
won't name the heroine, but because she was insecure she had me removed from four films.
As a matter of fact, I was to do one of the films with her. She was closer to the producer
and the hero apparently. So these things do happen, but I'm not into playing these sort of
games.
If the
producer was friendly to her, he should have signed her in the first place.
No, no, they signed her also. There were two of us in the film. Arre
kisika koi boyfriend hua, and he puts down the condition that if you work with so and so,
you never speak to me again... Never see me again...
Why didn't
you speak out and expose the heroine?
Because I'm not made that way. If someone is brash and impulsive, and so
desperate, what can one do? I believe in nature's justice. What comes around goes around.
I'm also here, she's also here, time will tell as to who did what and who did not. I know good always wins, life has shown me that. You do lose faith when
you're down and out but then reality strikes and you see what's happening to the other
person... Ultimately, the mask does fall, and the person gets exposed.
Your
long-standing enmity with Ajay Devgun doesn't look like getting resolved. Both of you take
potshots at each other at every given opportunity. Even though you are willing, Ajay still
maintains that he doesn't want to work with you.
I don't have a problem with Ajay because he is not so important in my
life. I don't even think about it. I'm too content with my life. Probably he is unhappy to
yet talk about me this way. I'm significant in his life somewhere that he yet holds a
grudge. It doesn't make any difference to me. I can work with anybody. I'm
not insecure, I have confidence in myself.
Have you
always been like this?
No, no, till my first year of college I was a very complex, insecure
person. I was fat and ugly. In school I was disgustingly obese. I
used to be the butt of ridicule and that made me withdraw into a shell. It made me
miserable, unsure of myself. I was far from confident. But now, I have changed a lot.
By N Anandhi
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