IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

From singing Kabhi Linking Road on the streets of Mumbai in her debut film Patthar Ke Phool to playing a ruthless character in her latest web series, Karmma Calling, RAVEENA TANDON has covered a spectrum of characters in her long, storied career. In this candid chat with Shraddha Kamdar, she shares her process of choosing roles, her inhibitions, and how life has changed for her in the recent past

- Shraddha Kamdar

Raveena Tandon is in a great state of mind (who wouldn’t be after three super successful consecutive releases!); her outlook towards life has changed immensely in the last year, and she tells me why during the course of the interview. This change is reflected in all aspects of her life, including how svelte she looks. The shoot for this cover story is proof enough.

When in such a positive mind frame, she has no time to entertain trolls, as she becomes the epitome of ‘ignorance is bliss’. Raveena genuinely believes that trolls are simply unhappy souls. “They obviously have a lot of free time to know exactly what’s happening in another person’s life, to discuss it, and then to troll the person.” In contrast, she is busy with her work, her family, her pets, and running her home in Mumbai, she tells me, while getting comfortable with her legs curled under her on the couch in her living room, offering me coffee and fruits while we chat.

She is not lucky enough, however, to escape the trolling from her own brood. Nothing can save her from being the target of her four children’s gentle jibes when they are together as a family. When her children are together, she tells me, the only topic of discussion is how strict she was with each one of them when they were growing up. They invariably end up asking one another, “How did you get whacked by her?” “Why did you get whacked?” “Why were you punished?” (The underlying presumption that they were punished can’t be missed!) Or, “How were you made to study?” It turns into this huge comparison of notes from the oldest to the youngest, Raveena laughs as she animatedly imitates her children.