April 5 will be a red-letter day for Raveena Tandon. On Wednesday, the actor received the Padma Shri for her contribution in the field of arts, from President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi. You can hear the happiness in her voice, as she reflects on her “proudest moment”. “Receiving the Padma Shri in the presence of my family was the best moment. When I received it, and looked at my husband and children’s beaming faces, I felt that everything so far has been worth it,” says the actor, who was joined by husband Anil Thadani, daughter Rasha and son Ranbir on her big day.
In her 32-year run in the Hindi movie industry, the National Award-winning actor has built a robust filmography. Having debuted in the movies with Patthar Ke Phool (1991), she was the leading lady of many commercially successful films, before turning her attention to hard-hitting offerings like Shool (1999), Daman (2001), and Aks (2001). “I tried to do movies on issues that I felt strongly about. The Nirbhaya case had shaken me so much that I was keen to do Maatr [2017]. Whether it was Daman, Jaago [2004] or Maatr, these films talked about violence against women, and [rallied for] women empowerment. I love commercial cinema, but I also look at projects that will make a difference to society.”
Raveena Tandon with her family at the felicitation ceremony
A section of social media users questioned why she was conferred with the country’s fourth-highest civilian award. But Tandon knows that with bouquets, come brickbats. “I don’t want to give any importance to them as they have their own agenda. The comments of few, who have 20 followers and haven’t seen the work that I have done, will not diminish my body of work. Trolls only see the glamour; they don’t see the hard work and long hours we put in. We know how polarised things are on social media today, but others have sent such beautiful [wishes].”
Also Read: Raveena Tandon poses with SS Rajamouli at Padma Awards 2023
Outside of films, Tandon has constantly championed various causes, from environmental conservation to animal welfare. In 1995, she adopted two girls, Pooja and Chhaya, as a single mother. Reflecting on it, she says, “I feel a sense of accomplishment when I give back to society that has given me so much. When I built a functional orphanage for 30 girls, or I [ensured] that oxygen cylinders reached [hospitals] in Delhi during the pandemic, it gave me a sense of gratification. Some people don’t know [about it] because I don’t do them for publicity. I am not doing it for people to see, but so that it makes a difference [to society].”
