Raveena Tandon had had a tattoo of a pattern of paw prints on her palm the day before we met for our interview at the Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa in Lonavala. I couldn’t help but wonder if Raveena’s tattoos were real as she enthusiastically extended her palm to show me hers. “I never do anything fake!” she exclaimed, winking and laughing, before revealing the inked scorpion (Raveena’s zodiac sign is Scorpio) on her neck, which she has had for quite some time. She laughed and said, “I believe I was the first in the business to receive it back then.”
Because of the epidemic, I hadn’t seen Raveena in a long time, but as is often the case with her, we took up just where we left off. The topic of talk was, of course, Aranyak, her first journey into the digital arena, which will premiere on Netflix on December 10. Raveena plays a cop in the thriller series, which also includes Parambrata Chattopadhyay and a slew of other notable performers, including our own Parambrata Chattopadhyay. Here’s what we discussed.
The first was that Netflix consistently produces series with strong female protagonists. Aranyak also sends out a message, which I loved. Whether it was Maatr, Daman, or Shool, I always selected films with a message nestled in someplace. And portraying anything like this was really essential to me. To me, it made all the proper noises. Of course, there’s the reality that Netflix is a globally responsible platform. I’m constantly searching for opportunities to do things that will help me grow as an actor and as a person… I am not someone who seeks out controversy; while it may work in some situations, it does not work for me.
