Born on October 26, 1974, Raveena Tandon is a complete Mumbai girl. She did schooling from Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu and then studied at Mithibai College, Vile Parle. The actress only completed her first two years at the college, as Ravs dropped out later and decided to pursue her film career. (All pictures/mid-day archives and Raveena Tandon's official Instagram account)

She was interning at Genesis PR, helping famous ad-man Prahlad Kakkar, when she got an offer from photographer-director Shantanu Sheorey. And that's how Raveena Tandon's acting journey began.

She was 16 when she did her first film. Raveena Tandon made her Bollywood debut in the year 1991 with Salman Khan in Patthar Ke Phool (1991) which was a hit. She went on to star in films such as Mohra, Dilwale, Laadla, which too became huge hits!

Back in the '90s, Raveena Tandon did many commercial films like Andaz Apna Apna, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Taqdeerwala, Vijeta, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Rakshak, Ziddi, Daava, Ghulam-E-Mustafa, Aunty No. 1, Gharwali Baharwali, among others.

Raveena Tandon was 21 when she had adopted Pooja and Chhaya. 'They are a distant cousin's children. Due to certain circumstances in their family, they needed someone to love and take care of them. Both have been a part of my life ever since. I have never hidden anything from them,' Raveena had told mid-day in an old interview.

Pooja and Chhaya had featured along with Raveena Tandon in the Farooque Shaikh hosted Zee TV show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai in 2002. While Pooja got married in 2011, Chhaya tied nuptial knots in 2009.

When Raveena Tandon brought her daughters home, Pooja, now an event manager, was only eleven, while Chhaya, an air hostess, was eight. The actor had revealed that despite her stature in society, she too was often subjected to ridicule. 'Unfortunately, people say nasty things to you when you take such a step, even if your intentions are pure. I faced flak from people, who said that the move would ruin my career. However, it turned out to be for the better. My life would have never been as blissful without them as it is today,' said Raveena.

Raveena Tandon married famous film distributor Anil Thadani in 2004. The couple was blessed with a baby girl in 2005, whom they named Rasha. Their second child was born in 2007, a baby boy, whom they named Ranbirvardhan.

Just like their Mumma, Raveena Tandon's children believe in social service and charity. The little ones have had raised funds for the NGO - In Defence of Animals. As the young ambassadors of the NGO, the kids used to visit schools across the city to spread awareness about animal rights and share their views about the importance of compassion.

Raveena Tandon completed 30 years in the film industry in 2021. 'It's been a long and great journey, for sure. It has taught me a lot. I remember I was so young when I started. It was not easy but I didn't quit and always worked hard to make a respectable place for myself. There's so much I have learned in all these years. Life is the best teacher. Everyday comes with a new lesson,' she said.

Speaking about her career, Raveena also shared that she doesn't have any regrets in life. 'I don't have any regrets in life. I never regret anything. I might have an incomplete dream but I never regret anything I have done. I believe destiny has a path to follow. I love my life. It could not be better than this. There is nothing that I would like to change about my life. I have made mistakes like other human beings. I have learned from them. So, no regrets. I thank God for giving me whatever I wanted in life,' she added.

Raveena Tandon feels at this stage she has the luxury to select projects, she is not interested in signing any and every film that comes her way. 'I am not interested to be seen on every Friday. I have the luxury to do that today. Earlier I used to do 30 films in one go. Now at this stage, I have the luxury to choose what I want to do.'

Raveena believes an actor must evolve with time and age. She was seen in the critically acclaimed film Shab, directed by Onir, which hit theatres in 2017.

At the same time, however, Raveena said it would be wrong to say that there are no roles for her. 'Today, I do not expect to get the roles that I was getting or doing in the '90s. Everyone should age gracefully and do the kind of roles that you can do with dignity and respect,' said the actress, who is currently shooting for a web-series in Dalhousie.

In 2018, the Maharashtra government appointed Raveena Tandon as the brand ambassador of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The actress has been passionate about wildlife since her childhood. 'Wildlife needs our attention and I am glad to be associated with it. I am hoping to be part of a progressive and greener environment,' she said.

In fact, Raveena Tandon has been dabbling in wildlife photography for some time now. She had even showcased her maiden collection at an exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery in Kala Ghoda, Mumbai in 2018.

A vociferous animal activist, Raveena Tandon's interest in wildlife photography stems from her love for them. 'It is amazing to see them in the natural habitat,' said the actor.

In 2018, Raveena Tandon adopted a leopard from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and her kids, Rasha and Ranbirvardhan raised the money to do so.

"My children got the money from their piggy bank savings. Where they fell short, we chipped in. They are animal lovers. My daughter helps me take care of the animals that I rescue. In fact, she has rescued two kittens and a dog from the streets too," said Raveena.

Raveena Tandon is truly an inspirational personality, one should look upto. We wish her a very happy birthday.