Raveena Tandon is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi cinema, with additional credits in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films. Active since the early 1990s, she became one of the leading commercial heroines of Hindi cinema during that decade and later transitioned into character-driven roles in films and on streaming platforms. She received the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence (2001) and was conferred the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2022 for her contributions to the arts.
| Full name | Raveena Ravi Tandon |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 October 1974, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Father | Ravi Tandon, film director |
| Mother | Veena Tandon |
| Spouse | Anil Thadani (m. 2004), film distributor |
| Occupation | Actress, producer |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Debut film | Patthar Ke Phool (1991) |
| Notable awards | National Film Award for Best Actress (2001); Padma Shri (2022) |
Raveena Tandon was born into a Punjabi film family in Mumbai. Her father, Ravi Tandon, directed Hindi films such as Khel Khel Mein (1975), Khud-Daar (1982) and Zindagi (1976), giving her early exposure to the industry. She studied at Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai and later at Mithibai College. Before her acting debut, she briefly worked as an assistant to photographer Jayesh Sheth and modelled for print campaigns.
Tandon made her screen debut opposite Salman Khan in Patthar Ke Phool (1991), directed by Anant Balani, which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She followed it with films including Dil Ka Kya Kasoor (1992) and Mohra in development, establishing herself as a commercial lead.
Her breakthrough came with Rajiv Rai's Mohra (1994), in which the song "Tip Tip Barsa Paani" became a defining hit of the decade. The same year she appeared in Andaz Apna Apna opposite Aamir Khan, a comedy that gained cult status over time. She went on to feature in commercial successes such as Dilwale (1994), Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996) with Akshay Kumar, Ziddi (1997), Dulhe Raja (1998), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) and Anari No. 1 (1999). She was widely regarded as a leading dance-oriented heroine of the period.
Tandon shifted towards more substantial roles with Kalpana Lajmi's Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence (2001), portraying a victim of domestic abuse, which earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress. She also won acclaim for Aks (2001), directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, opposite Amitabh Bachchan. Other notable films include Stumped (2003) and Satta (2003).
After her marriage in 2004 and the birth of her children, Tandon worked selectively. She returned with films such as Bbuddah… Hoga Terra Baap (2011) and Shab (2017). She made her South Indian film debut in the Kannada production KGF: Chapter 2 (2022), directed by Prashanth Neel, playing the antagonist Ramika Sen, the Prime Minister of India. The film became one of the highest-grossing Indian films. She also led the Netflix crime drama series Aranyak (2021), playing a police officer in a Himalayan town, which marked her web series debut. She subsequently appeared in Patna Shuklla (2024) and other projects.
Tandon has served as a judge on reality and talent shows including Sabse Bada Kalakar and Isi Ka Naam Zindagi. She has been associated with animal welfare and child welfare causes and is known publicly for adopting two girls, Chhaya and Pooja, in 1995 when she was unmarried.
Raveena Tandon married Anil Thadani, a film distributor, in February 2004 in Udaipur. The couple have two biological children, Rasha and Ranbir. Her elder adopted daughters were both married before her own marriage. Her daughter Rasha Thadani made her acting debut in 2024.
Raveena Tandon is regarded as one of the prominent female leads of 1990s Hindi cinema, associated with the era's mainstream song-and-dance idiom as well as with later parallel films that addressed social themes. Her transition from glamorous heroine roles to award-winning dramatic performances and antagonist parts in pan-Indian cinema illustrates a wider shift in how mainstream Hindi actresses have negotiated long careers across formats.