Padma Shri Raveena Tandon Recalls Dad's Advice, Says 'Jis Din Tum Apni... Wo Izzat Gayi' | Exclusive

In January this year, it was announced that actor Raveena Tandon will be conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award of India, for her contribution in the field of arts. And on Wednesday (April 5), she was presented with the honour by President Draupadi Murmu during a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi, where she was accompanied by her family – husband Anil Thadani, daughter Rasha Thadani and son Ranbir Thadani. Raveena had earlier shared that she dedicated the Padma Shri to her father, filmmaker Ravi Tandon, who passed away in February last year. For the unversed, he has directed films like Khel Khel Mein (1975) and Jhoota Kahin Ka (1979).

In an exclusive chat with News18, Raveena had spoken about being inspired by him and the contribution he had in making her the person that she is today. “My father as a human being and the many things he did shaped me as a person. He always used to tell me that when you’re climbing the ladder of success, always be nice to those who’re holding the ladder for you because god forbid, if a day comes when you’re climbing it down, the very same people will be holding up the ladder for you,” she told us.

Navigating the world of showbiz, where the highs are extraordinary and the lows are abysmal, is no cakewalk. The 50-year-old credited him for teaching her the ropes to survive in the film industry and take on challenges to her stride. “Every time I would feel low, he would tell me that when a child learns to walk, he falls zillions of times but he gathers himself, gets up, learns to walk again and he walks strong with his head held up high. He taught me to pick myself up and walk again strongly if I ever fall,” she shared.

The KGF: Chapter 2 (2022) and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) actor further added, “He also used to tell me to bend down to greet a person and do so with respect. He would allude to this saying in Hindi that goes, ‘Jhuk ke doosron ko aadar do par itna bhi na jhuko ki tumhaare reed ki haddi toot jaaye aur tum waapas uth na paao.’”

She recalled the first piece of advice he gave her right before she began her journey as an actor with Patthar Ke Phool (1991) and said that she wants to pass it on to her children as well. “I remember the time when I was starting out in the film industry. He told me, ‘Har ek ki izzat unki mutthi mein hoti hai aur agar tum apni mutthi bandh rakho aur apne dil ke paas rakho, toh tumhaari izzat bani rahegi. Jis din tum apni mutthi khol do aur woh izzat gawaah di, wo izzat gayi.’ These things will always remain with me and I try to teach them to my children as well. Even if I’m one-tenth of who my dad was, I’ll consider myself a good human being,” she expressed.

While her father’s death is a loss that has left a void in her, she has chosen to look into the silver lining and think of him as her guardian angel. She attributes her success in the last one year to his blessings. “He has been my guiding light. After he passed away, I was given the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award for Aranyak by the government. From that day to the moment when I won the Padma Shri, it’s like a completion of a circle. The past one year has been great because it was a year of awards for Aranyak and KGF 2. But winning the Padma Shri was the cherry on the top,” Raveena stated.

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