Raveena Tandon Thadani

THESE DAYS, HEROINES REMAIN HEROINES LONG AFTER THE FRONT-BENCHERS AND RAZZMATAZZ HAVE MOVED ON. TAKING THE LEAD TO REFORM THE WORLD, RAISE FAMILIES, NURTURE THE GIRL CHILD IN DIVERSE WAYS AND, OF COURSE, INDULGE IN THE FINER THINGS LIFE HAS TO OFFER… HELLO! REVISITS THE COMPLETE WOMAN IN THIS BRIGHT STAR

- Sangeeta Wadwani

Raveena, how do you define being a 21st century woman?

“To be a woman in the 21st century is an exhilarating and exciting time as women have achieved many things over the past century. I for one, have never been a ‘burning the bra’ kind of feminist. But, I have always considered women to be equal, sometimes even proving superior to men. I’ve always put my views across strongly and have never felt intimidated in any way or by anyone because of my gender. The opportunities are abundant now and this century has challenged many a male bastion. The era is also of women being comfortable in their own skin and not being body shamed, and I am loving each minute of it.”

We know you adopted two girls in the prime of your career – when you were still single and just 21. Do you feel a truly luxurious existence is one filled with a good amount of giving back to society?

“I have been fortunate to have been born with a secure roof over my head, but there have been times when I too, with my family, have faced challenging times financially. However, that never stopped us from helping out someone whose need was more than ours. Today, I have earned the right to luxury, and it has all been a byproduct of my hard work. I also believe in giving back to society. If I have achieved a name, a certain amount of fame and acclaim, it is due to the love of people accepting me in my movies and helping them to do well.”

Your earliest luxury memory...