As I head up 14 floors to Raveena's apartment, a million questions run
through my head. I have met her numerous times before while covering her
events but never actually interviewed her. Given her huge status I am
tempted to ask a barrage of questions which would span the period including her entry into
films, her struggle and more recently her performances in films with a
social message. But as it is my first with her I'm also attracted into
asking her questions following a biblical fashion with three different
in-depth interviews such as Genesis, the struggle and Revelation. The lift
stops and my time to think is up.
A simple white marbled apartment greets me with friendly surroundings and
her father welcomes me warmly. The rush begins now as Raveena pops out from
her office and says "Sorry, just five minutes, I'm just wrapping up a
narration" before disappearing back into the room. She has a very
unapproachable image in the press painted by wild accusations and the nay-sayers have
polished up on ammunition regarding her reputation, yet my first impression
is of the smile with which she greeted me two years ago and her friendly
demeanour ever since and the now concerned Raveena who came out of her
office to personally apologise for the delay. For all those who are
expecting starry hang ups: Prepare for disappointment.
Seated in her cosy office I begin the interview by reminding her how since
the beginning of her career she has been 'coming back by popular demand' every
year to London for stage shows.
"Luckily I've been doing shows since the beginning of my career, in fact I
think I must be the heroine with the maximum number of world tours. I came
in 1992, 1994, 1995 then 1998, last year with the Millennium Masti and I'm
coming again soon this year."
It must be an ecstatic feeling to be loved so much abroad that you are
constantly called back, I wonder aloud asking how she feels about all this
affection and warmth from the 'desis' who are abroad.
"I think it's great, overseas I've had a great market because the fact that
I'm called again and again, I don't think any other heroine has gone so many
times. It's a great feeling, especially being there on stage and the fans
are all screaming for you, it's a different high altogether. I do it for
that instant thrill, it's like instant nirvana. You just reach this totally
new level of high that nothing can beat it, it's just the best."
I ask if she recalls her debut stage show and what it felt like to be on
stage for the first time and she smiles again, telling me:
"I remember it was 1992, the show was titled Chamakte Sitare. It had me,
Aamir, Salman, Divya Bharti and Juhi Chawla. When I first came on I was
really nervous, I thought I'd black out. I think that never goes, even today
still I feel that sense of panic and level of excitement and you're all
pepped up thinking I hope nothing goes wrong. And it's like when you
suddenly take that first step onto the stage from the wings and up until
that point there are butterflies, but the second you hear the screams it's
all over. Then all of a sudden you're there in front of thousands of people,
giving them your best because they are there and have all turned up to
appreciate you. Those cheers are priceless and you just feel great about the
whole thing, it's indescribable."
If it can assured that Raveena always gives her best at her stage shows, it
can also be guaranteed that her fans do not come unprepared, with boards and
hoardings expressing undying love for her or placards of support, the signs
and gifts brought to the auditoriums in hope that she may notice someone has
gone to such trouble for her are always present. I wonder if she has ever
noticed these efforts while on stage, and if that direct interaction is
really there. She smiles and cannot hold back a grin the size of Mumbai
itself, and answers:
"Yes, yes, of course, we do see all those wonderful things. We see the teddy
bears and all, it's unbelievable. "
She pauses as her eyes twinkle as though she is being reminded of that stage
magic and turns to me to sum up how important stage shows are to her and how
much she loves the support fans clearly turn out in their droves to give.
"Believe me, it's even more fun and even more rewarding than doing a good
film. Because if you've done a good film and its released somewhere in some
theatre, you don't know or get to see who's cheering for you or clapping,
you have no live interaction with the audience. Someone could be clapping
for you 5000 miles away and you won't hear it, but on stage I hear every
clap. It's live and the response is right there in front of you. It's simply
incredible."
On that note I am served possibly what could be the best tea I have ever
had, and for seconds after my first sip I am transported to my own nirvana
of heavenly bliss. Temptation beckons for me to just sit back and relax to
enjoy this extremely well made tea but on being brought back to her cosy
home, I realise in the company of a friend I hardly notice that I am
working.
I ask about how she has managed to make sure that she graces every magazine
cover month after month, even when her films aren`t doing well, she agrees
the exposure is there, but is honest in her reaction that she cannot take
the credit for any PR work.
"I guess I can sum it up by saying I think I'm plain and simply lucky. As
far as PR work is concerned there is none. I don't even have a PR officer
working for me. In fact you know what, someone called me up yesterday and
said 'look you're on the cover of the latest G magazine', and I got a copy
and was surprised. You see, half the time I don't even know I'm on the cover
until the magazine comes out. But I don't have a PR and I'm not into calling
people and saying put me on the cover of a magazine and it actually comes as
a surprise to me when I'm told I'm on this magazine or that cover."
I take another sip of the finely brewed tea and nod my head as I settle more
and more into a comfort zone in the air conditioned, homely surroundings.
"Fortunately I can say I've been lucky because after Pathar ke Phool I had
quite a few duds, but thankfully even though I was going through that sort
of phase I kept signing good films with good directors. They never lost
confidence in me or faith in my talent or whatever you want to call it, so I
kept going on. Then suddenly came these five-six superhits in a row like
Andaaz Apna Apna, Laadla, Imtihan, Dilwale, Mohra, Khiladiyon ka Khiladi.
That's when I thought okay, things are going well you know, as it was
never my ambition to become an actress and this has never been for me the be all and end all. It's been a rollercoaster ride, there have been ups and
downs but that's what life's all about. Where there's a will there's a way."
I remind Raveena how I've been following her career since I became
interested in Hindi films and how I was glad to see a growth in her
performances from Patthar ke Phool to Kshatriya to date in that the
improvement can always be seen and never faulted by critics. She nods her
head agreeingly, thankful I've noticed and contemplates:
"You see, that's another thing I've been lucky about. Sometimes even though
my films didn't do well the media always spotted a good performance and said
she has performed well or wrote good about me. Maybe it helped in
encouraging me to hang on. You see after Mohra the way it was I gave up
working for about two years. In those two years everyone who started out
with me like Karisma and Manisha have all evolved as actresses with Raja
Hindustani and Bombay. During the time I was to evolve from being a glamour
doll to a more serious actress, I sat back and gave up work, so when I came
back I had to catch up and reach that stage. The evolution could have been
done in less time but it's because I took a break in between, which slowed
the whole process down."
The growth of Raveena is also clearly evident in the more recent ventures
she has participated in, such as E.Niwas' Shool and the forthcoming Kalpana Lajmi movie (for which she has just won the National Award), both of which
presented Raveena in a different light and were films with a social message.
"I have two films about to release Daman and Aks, where the roles are in
total contrast. In Aks I play a club dancer and it's a glamorous role and
Daman is very, very different. Then I'm also doing a bilingual project with
Kamal Hassan called Abhay, then there's Anees Bazmi's Deewangi with Sanjay
and Ajay, Akhiyon Se Goli Maare with Govinda and Ek Hindustani with Sunil
Shetty and a few others."
The topic moves on to fans and fanmail. We know that she has such strong
public support and receives fanmail. Does she get time to read her fanmail,
does she ever reply, I ask.
"I love to read my fanmail and sometimes whenever I have time I reply to the
really nice ones as well. But you get all sorts of mail, sometimes you get
scary ones as well those bordering on obsession. There was one man who wrote to me
who believed we were married and he wrote to me saying when will you come
back home to me and the kids, the kids are crying! The neighbours can't
handle the kids anymore and all this, you get wacko ones as well but mostly
it's all good feedback. Some of the most touching and best letters I've
received are from the girls who have read my interviews and said I am very
philosophical and some see you as an inspiration which is so nice. There are
some who write to say that they went through a tough time but after reading your
interviews that even stars go through these problems and it helps pull them
through, so I love letters like that which give me the feeling that when I
talk it does make a difference to people."
The phone rings and she is informed her next appointment awaits her, so I
eye the time and ask her to wind up with a message to her fans and everyone
reading all around the world.
"Every individual human being can make a difference, be it a good deed a day
or something as small as a smile, it can go a long way and make a
difference. I'd like to say to my well wishers as that's what they are more
than my fans because they've given me so much strength, that one small step
can make a difference. One little contribution works a long way. I believe
in humanity being the biggest religion of all, and unfortunately I think
humankind's worst enemy is human beings themself, with all this fighting and
bad things happening, where's it's all going to lead? You don't take any bad
things with you when you go, only the good things, so make the difference."
On that note she nods her head with a smile, as if to tell herself there is
still hope for the world if everyone tries, and as I finish off my tea she
bursts with energy and takes my dictaphone playfully, speaking directly to
all reading and says, "Yes people, spread the good word!".
Photos:
Main picture: Subi Samuel
Raveena as a child with brother and Helen: Courtesy Raveena Tandon
Raveena with sister-in-law Rakhi: Courtesy Raveena Tandon
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