Raveena Tandon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raveena Tandon
Tandon in 2021
Born	(1972-10-26) 26 October 1972 (age 52) Bombay (present-day Mumbai), Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Anil Thadani ​ (m. 2004)​
Children	4 (2 adopted)
Parent(s)	Ravi Tandon (father)
Relatives	Rakhee Tandon (sister-in-law) Mac Mohan (uncle) Manjari Makijany (cousin) Kiran Rathod (cousin)
Honours	Padma Shri (2023)

Raveena Tandon (born October 26, 1972) is a famous Indian actress. She is best known for her roles in Hindi films. Raveena was one of the top actresses in the 1990s and early 2000s.

She has won many awards, including a National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards. In 2023, she received the Padma Shri. This is the fourth highest civilian honor in India.

Raveena is the daughter of director Ravi Tandon. She started acting in 1991 in the film Patthar Ke Phool. This movie helped her win the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She became very popular by starring in successful action films. These include Dilwale (1994), Mohra (1994), Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), and Ziddi (1997).

Later, she worked with actor Govinda in many hit comedies. Some of these were Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) and Dulhe Raja (1998). Raveena also took on serious roles in films like Ghulam-E-Mustafa (1997) and Shool (1999).

In the 2000s, Raveena acted in more artistic films. Her roles in Daman (2001) and Aks (2001) were highly praised. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress for Daman. After marrying film distributor Anil Thadani, Raveena took a break from movies. She appeared on television shows like Sahib Biwi Gulam (2004).

Raveena returned to acting in the thriller Maatr (2017). She also received praise for her role in the Netflix series Aranyak (2021). Her biggest hit was a supporting role in K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022). Raveena Tandon is also an environmentalist. She has worked with PETA since 2002. She has four children, two of whom she adopted.

Early Life and Family

Raveena Tandon was born on October 26, 1972, in Bombay (now Mumbai). Her father is filmmaker Ravi Tandon, and her mother is Veena Tandon. She comes from a family involved in films. Her uncle is actor Mac Mohan, and her cousin is Manjari Makijany. She also has a brother, Rajiv Tandon, and another cousin, actress Kiran Rathod.

Raveena went to Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu. She later studied at Mithibai College in Mumbai. She started her career as a model. While working as an intern, she received her first offer to act in a film.

Raveena once shared that she never planned to become an actress. Friends and people around her encouraged her because of her looks. A photographer-director gave her her first chance. She thought there was nothing to lose, and then Patthar Ke Phool happened.

Acting Career

Early Films (1991–1993)

Raveena Tandon started her acting journey in 1991. Her first film was Patthar Ke Phool, where she starred with Salman Khan. This movie was a big success at the box office. She won the Filmfare Award for Lux New Face of the Year for her role. After this, she appeared in several films that did not do as well. These included Jeena Marna Tere Sang and Divya Shakti.

Becoming a Star (1994–1999)

Tandon at an event

The year 1994 was very important for Raveena's career. She had ten film releases that year. Many of these movies became huge hits. These included Dilwale with Ajay Devgn and Aatish: Feel the Fire with Sanjay Dutt. She also starred in Laadla with Anil Kapoor and Mohra with Akshay Kumar.

Mohra was a major breakthrough for Raveena. Her dance performances in songs like "Too Cheez Badi Hain" and "Tip Tip Barsa Pani" became very famous. Another film, Andaz Apna Apna with Aamir Khan, did not do well at first. However, it later became a cult classic, loved by many over the years.

In 1995, Raveena worked with Shah Rukh Khan for the first time in Zamaana Deewana. This film was not successful. In 1996, her movie Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi with Akshay Kumar was a commercial hit. She also appeared in the popular song "Shahar Ki Ladki" in the film Rakshak.

Raveena had two successful films in 1997. These were Ziddi with Sunny Deol and Ghulam-E-Mustafa with Nana Patekar. Other films she did that year did not perform well.

In 1998, Raveena achieved more success as a leading actress. She starred in two big hits with Govinda: Dulhe Raja and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. Both of these were among the highest-grossing films of the year. People praised her comedic timing in these movies. She also had other successful films like Salaakhen and Gharwali Baharwali.

In 1999, Raveena appeared with Govinda again in Anari No.1, which was a commercial success. She also acted in the Kannada film Upendra, which was also a hit. Critics noted that Raveena added glamour to her role. She then received praise for her acting in Shool with Manoj Bajpayee. This film later became a cult favorite.

Acclaim, Break, and Television (2000-2015)

In the 2000s, Raveena Tandon started choosing more realistic films. She wanted to learn a different style of acting. She worked in movies like Bulandi (2000) and Aks (2001). These roles earned her great reviews. She won several awards, including the Filmfare Special Performance Award for Aks.

Her hard work paid off when she won the National Film Award for Best Actress. This was for her role in Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence (2001). In this film, she played a wife who was abused by her husband. She surprised everyone with her powerful performance. Critics said she was a "performer of substance."

After this, she starred in other critically praised films. These included Satta (2003) and Dobara (2004). In Satta, she played a middle-class woman who enters politics. Critics praised her "bravura performance." Her role as a person with schizophrenia in Dobara was also well-received.

Raveena also worked on the Sahara One television series Sahib Biwi Gulam. This show was based on a famous Bengali novel. After doing many films, she took a break from acting full-time. During this time, she appeared in the Telugu film Pandavulu Pandavulu Tummeda, which was a success.

During her break from films, Raveena was active on television. In 2014, she was a judge on CEO's Got Talent. She also hosted talk shows like Issi Ka Naam Zindagi and Simply Baatien with Raveena. In 2015, she made a comeback to Bollywood in Bombay Velvet. Her short role as a jazz singer was highly praised. After this, Raveena became a judge for reality shows like Sabse Bada Kalakar and Nach Baliye 9.

Recent Work and Streaming Projects (2017-Present)

After a three-year break from films, Raveena Tandon had two releases in 2017. In Maatr, she played a mother seeking revenge for her daughter. Critics noted that she showed the pain and anger through her eyes. This film was a moderate success. Her next film was Shab, where she played a socialite. In 2019, she appeared in the song "Sheher Ki Ladki" from Khandaani Shafakhana.

In 2021, Raveena made her debut in web series with Aranyak. She played a police officer in this series. Critics praised her performance, saying she was not afraid to show different sides of her character.

Raveena also made her debut in Kannada films with KGF: Chapter 2. She played the Prime Minister in this movie. It was a huge commercial success and became one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever. In 2023, she played a doctor in One Friday Night. In 2024, she appeared in two films, Patna Shuklla and Ghudchadi. She also starred in the series Karmma Calling. In 2025, she will be seen in Inn Galiyon Mein.

Off-Screen Activities

Tandon with Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in 2003

Raveena Tandon was the chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India starting in 2003. However, she resigned in September 2005 due to personal reasons.

In November 2005, Raveena sued two websites, Shaadi.com and Shaaditimes.com. She claimed they were using her pictures without permission to promote their sites.

Raveena is a strong supporter of PETA. In November 2002, she sang to support PETA's work. She has appeared in many advertisement campaigns for animal rights. She has spoken out against the abuse of animals.

As part of her charity work, she appeared in a music video called "Betiyaan" (Save the Girl Child). This song was sung by famous artists like Shankar Mahadevan and Sunidhi Chauhan. In 2023, she was chosen as a delegate for W20. This is the Women's empowerment group at the G20 New Delhi summit.

Personal Life

Raveena Tandon adopted two girls, Pooja and Chhaya, in 1995. They were 11 and 8 years old at the time. In the late 1990s, Raveena was dating actor Akshay Kumar. They were engaged but later decided to go their separate ways.

Raveena started dating film distributor Anil Thadani while making her film Stumped (2003). Their engagement was announced in November 2003. They got married on February 22, 2004. The wedding took place at Jag Mandir Palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Raveena gave birth to her daughter, Rasha, in March 2005. In July 2008, she welcomed her son, Ranbirvardhan.

Impact and Recognition

Tandon in 2022

Raveena Tandon is often seen as one of the most popular actresses of the 1990s. Many have described her as lively and charming on screen. She is also known for her amazing dance numbers. Filmfare magazine called her a "natural dancer" who brought great energy to her performances.

Raveena believes her roles in Shool and Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence changed how people saw her. She said these films helped people see her as a serious actress, not just a "pretty face."

Raveena was one of the highest-paid actresses in the 1990s. In 1994, she was on Box Office India's list of "Top Actresses." In 2019, she was on Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list. This list ranks famous people by their income. In 2022, Outlook India included her in their "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list.

In 2023, the Government of India honored Raveena Tandon with the Padma Shri. This award recognized her important contributions to Indian cinema.

Awards and Nominations

Tandon at the 48th National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi on 12 December 2001

Film Awards

Other Recognitions

• 2023: Raveena Tandon received the Padma Shri for her contributions to the arts.

See also

In Spanish: Raveena Tandon para niños

• List of Indian film actresses