By Jagmohan Singh Barhok
कितनी मुहब्बत है मेरे दिल में, कैसे दिखाऊँ उसे
दीवानगी ने पागल किया है, कैसे बताऊँ उसे
मिटाने से भी न मिटेगी मेरी दास्ताँ
इक ऐसी लड़की थी
Raveena Tandon ,daughter of director Ravi Tandon,( Anhonee, Majboor, Khel Kheil Mein fame) started her career with modelling & later debuting with “Patthar Ke Phool” ( 1991), winning Filmfare Award for New Face of the Year. The film starred Salman Khan, Vinod Mehra & Reema Lagoo.
Like other girls of her genre, a vivacious Raveena featured in “Dilwale” ( ‘Ek Aisi Ladki Thi Jise Main Pyaar Karta Tha’), “Mohra” & “Laadla” (1994), all finding a place in the list of top or highest grossing films of the year. “Laadla” also earned her Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award . She was later engaged to Akshay Kumar. After her engagement broke off she returned to films with a hit film “Bade Miya Chote Miyaan” ( 1998) also starring Amitabh Bachchan & Govinda, with a foot tapping playful number “Kisi Disco Mein Jaaye” rendered by Udit Narain & Alka yagnic followed by another too popular songs “Ankhiyon Se Goli Maare” from “Dulhe Raja”. After her marriage to film distributor Anil Thadani in 2004, she returned to films again after a hiatus of years.
I met the actress during the shooting of “Andaz Apna Apna” in a dilapidated bungalow at Goregaon East in 1992 along with Salman & Aamir Khan. It was a comedy film & was not likely to be a successful one . On my return to Jalandhar, Narinder Singh Walia, partner Paramount Films asked me about my experience during the trip. I did not approve of the film ‘Andaz Apna Apna’. However, I approved of another film ‘Phool Aur Kante’. Mr. Walia had the distribution rights of both the films. Walia along with the Delhi distributor rushed to Bombay the following evening and told the producer that they would not go ahead with the film unless some action scenes are added and re-shooting done. The film ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ was subsequently delayed by more than a year & was released in 1994 with success. It was one of the earlier hits of Salman, Aamir, Raveena & Karishma Kapoor.
