Entertainment / Our Chat With ’90s Bollywood Star Raveena Tandon

Our Chat With ’90s Bollywood Star Raveena Tandon

Entertainment May 29, 2013

by Monika Bhondy

?We catch up with her during her appearance at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival

The 90's Bollywood bombshell, Raveena Tandon embarks on a full-fledged comeback to the movie industry and ANOKHI was present to see it unfold. In a role like you've never seen her before, the 37 year- old wife, mother of four, actress, producer, former model and recent chat show host (Isi Ka Naam Zindagi) arrived Sunday, September 23rd 2012 to the World premiere of Shobhna's 7 Nights at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival.

After a sabbatical of 5 years we were intrigued to know what made this former 'pin-up' star return to the big screen and star as a controversial socialite, columnist and author in Shobhna's 7 Nights, directed by Sudipto Chattopadhay. ANOKHI's Monika Bhondy sat down with the star to get the exclusive one-on-one scoop.

Monika Bhondy: Tell me about your role in Shobhna's 7 Nights?

Raveena Tandon: It's actually a very complicated love story between two people. Almost spanning three generations of men who are in love with a woman who is a simple, middle class housewife and how she evolves into a high society socialite. I don't know if you can call it evolving really but to what she is. She goes little astray. How a simple young man who comes into her life, who is facing his own problems, how he comes and brings simplicity back into her life and love back into her life.

MB: Why did you choose this particular role?

RT: I've played all kinds of roles, the rich brat to the simple housewife to the glamorous stuff but something like this is what I've never played before and was something very challenging for me. Sound cliché but it's a grey character because in the beginning you don't know if you want to hate her. Oh my god, she's a middle aged women hitting on young guys, what is she all about? It's a complex character, she's grey but towards the end you start sympathizing with her. It was very challenging for me to hold the line and not stray the role into the lines of complete black or white.

MB: This movie has been called part of your comeback to the industry, what do you have to say to that?

RT: They can probably say that because I've not done a film where I've played a protagonist for a long time. I did a small cameo in Buddah… Hoga Terra Baap which is due to Amarji who called and said "you have to do this". I was very happy running after my kids at that point and after that this is a full fleged film you'll see me in after a long time and yes picking up with challenging roles I left off with like Daman or Shool or Satta. Something in that genre and challenging and I wanted to do it.

MB: Do you think art movies have crossed over and have become commercial success stories?

Raveena with ANOKHI Style Editor, Monika Bhondy

RT: Eight years ago if you asked me this question I would have agreed with crossover cinema or art and commercial cinema. Now I think there is a fusion that has kind of happened, we call it realistic cinema. Commercially also they are doing really well. You can't say it's an art form of expression that doesn't do well in the box office. I think the crossover thing is diminished now, you can see movies from the past that have done really well you could call it crossover cinema. That line has crossed; they are commercially viable films today as well so I would call them commercial films too.

MB: For all the fashionistas out there tell us who are you wearing this evening?

RT: Manish Malhotra.

MB: What designer would you like to work with that you haven't worked with before?

RT: Anamika Khanna. We always talk about 'when are we doing clothes' but somehow we never really gotten together. I like the way she dresses people.

MB: Tell us a little bit about your beauty regime and what you can't do without?

RT: I must wash my face; I need my skin to breathe. I'm not the 'over-the-top' makeup kind of person.

MB: What keeps you going?

RT: The fact that I was really plump as a kind, I dunno.

MB: Over the years what has been your inspiration?

RT: I don't have anyone that I follow; I've always taken care of myself..

MB: Is there anything you feel you have yet to accomplish?

RT: Trick question, (laughs) I'm still jetlagging…..no there's lots more to go. Many miles to go before I sleep actually. I just wanna do good work and that's it. It's not about the rat race anymore. If there's a role I want to do it to satisfy my needs as an actor, to be able to push myself beyond boundaries I've set for myself.

_{Sources: IMDb.com, tellynagari.com, and csaff.org}

Monika Bhondy

Author

Monika Bhondy (@monikabhondy) is one of the original editors at ANOKHI. She wore many hats through the developmental years including creating the first Holiday Gift Guide as The Style Editor, putting down the first building blocks of ANOKHI's global blog community, handling the video department and ...

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Our Chat With ’90s Bollywood Star Raveena Tandon

by Monika Bhondy

?We catch up with her during her appearance at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival

Monika Bhondy

COMMENTS

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