She was one of the most bankable stars of the 90s- be it her comic timing with the Comedy King Govinda or her chemistry with the Khiladi of Bollywood Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, had in her kitty a healthy dose of commercial success. After making a silver-screen debut opposite Salman Khan in Patthar Ke Phool (1991), Raveena essayed light-hearted characters in famous films such as Mohra (1994), Andaz Apna Apna (1994), Aunty No. 1 (1998), and Dulhe Raja (1998), and then went on to portray powerful roles in films such as Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence (2001), Aks (2001), Satta (2003), and Maatr (2017).
EARLY LIFE
Born to Hindi producer and director Ravi Tandon, and Veena Tandon, Raveena has a young brother Rajiv Tandon, who is also into production. She completed her schooling from Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu and joined Mithibai College for graduation. However, after her second year, she dropped out, as she wanted to pursue her career in the world of glamor and had already started getting movie offers.
PERSONAL LIFE
Raveena Tandon, in 1991, got engaged to Farhan Furniturewala, but due to reason unknown, they separated. He later went on to marry the socialite Pooja Bedi.
On the sets of Mohra, when Raveena Tandon was just three-years-old in the industry, she met Akshay Kumar and the sparks immediately flew between the two. Their love further bloomed, which became very apparent with their sizzling chemistry in the film. From the outside, they were a perfect match- both upcoming, and successful stars, who many in the industry thought, were all ready to tie the knot. According to an interview, she gave a few years later, after the couple had parted way, she confessed being engaged to him. The problem started arising in the paradise, after the rumors of Akshays relationship with the yesteryear heartthrob Rekha started doing the rounds. Raveena Tandon decided to call the relationship off as she was already tired of dealing with Akshay Kumars flamboyant ways.
In 1995, Raveena Tandon adopted two girls- Pooja and Chaya and became a single mother to them.
In 2003, the actress started dating film distributor Anil Thandani. Both got engaged the same year itself and got hitched in 2004 at Jag Mandir Palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan according to Punjabi traditions. In 2005, she gave birth to a girl named Rasha, and in 2007 to a boy named Ranbir.
MOVIE CAREER
Raveena Tandon broke into the Hindi film industry with romantic drama film Patthar Ke Phool, which starred Salman Khan opposite her. Directed by Ananat Balani, the movie went on to be a commercial success, with Raveena winning the Filmfare Award for Lux New Face of the Year for her performance. She subsequently starred in hit movies like Dilwale (1994), Laadla (1994), and Andaz Apna Apna (1994). But what catapulted Raveena Tandon to overnight stardom was the political action thriller Mohra (1994). She became an overnight sensation when in the movie, she donned that yellow saari to dance to Tip Tip Barsa Paani, in the rain. Her bold and sensuous portrayal of Journalist Roma Singh was very well received by the audiences. Directed by Rajiv Rai, the movie along with Raveena featured Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead.
In the late 90s, Raveena Tandon forayed into doing comedic roles, most of which saw her opposite, Govinda. They did as many as 9 films together and their impeccable timing as a couple made them a favorite amongst the cine-goers. Some of their famous films include Aunty No. 1 (1998), Dulhe Raja (1998), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), and Anari No. 1 (1999).
Raveena Tandon, with the beginning of the millennium, began drifting away with the kind of cinema she was known for. In 2001, she starred in two films which brought her immense critical acclaim and prominence as a serious actor. Her first release was Kalpana Lajmi drama film Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence, which was based on the story of a wife, who was continuously subjected to violence by her husband. For essaying Durga, a lower caste girl, Raveena bagged the first National Film Award for Best Actress. Her second 2001 release was Rakeysh Omprakash Mehras supernatural thriller film Aks. The movie, although a commercial failure, was very well received by the critics and Raveena Tandon received a lot of appreciation for her performance. Two years later, Raveena Tandon starred in a hard-hitting role as Anuradha Sehgal in the political drama movie Satta. Considered as on one her best films, Satta was directed by Madhur Bhandarkar.
In the coming years, she appeared in some mediocre films like Qayamat: City Under Threat (2003), Police Force: An Inside Story (2004), Sandwich (2006), and Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap (2011).
Her 2017 release includes the Indian thriller film Maatr. Directed Ashtar Sayed and the drama, Shab, directed by Onir.