Raveena Tandon
Actor Raveena Tandon has embraced the digital world and how. Even as she is having fun making TikTok videos and taking Instagram challenges with her daughter, she is also using social media platforms to talk about issues that matter. In the last week of April, Tandon started a digital campaign to sensitise people about the violence against Covid-19 frontline warriors.
Q/ What was the idea behind #JeetegaIndiaJeetengeHum campaign?
A/ When I started seeing these incidents [of frontline workers being attacked] on news platforms.... I thought, ‘What’s going on?’ It was very disturbing. What level has humanity stooped to? It was important for us to raise voices and condemn what was happening. It was not just a simple thank you, but also the fact that we need to tell people not to fall victim to any kind of religious brainwashing, rumours and fake news.
Q/ And, it has received a lot of support.
A/ It is amazing how humanity just rises when there is a need. It is something that is close to a lot of people. I had asked people to give small [video] messages, but a lot of people have done long videos explaining things. It works to a certain extent. You have [videos by] Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Shilpa Shetty and then there’s [one by] a really young boy—one of my Twitter followers. The message is reaching the masses and I am glad.
Q/ You have been quite vocal on Twitter, be it against the Kumaraswamy wedding or the opening up of paan-gutka shops.
A/ I am not raising my voice against any government order or official. I think paan-gutka shops will lead to spitting. At a time when we are trying to get a certain sort of civic and hygiene sense, it is important to stop people from doing things that can lead to the spread of Covid-19.
Q/ How do you think the entertainment industry is going to come out of this?
A/ A lot of things are going to change. It is not going to be an easy year ahead for a lot of us. I am sure we will all find ways of surviving, innovating and [bringing] some novelty in the kind of entertainment we provide.
Q/ What projects are you working on?
A/ I finished shooting for K.G.F: Chapter 2 and I was to start shooting for Ahmed Khan’s next film. There is a web show that we are prepping for. As soon as the lockdown is lifted and we get permission to work, we will start working on that. I love the creativity that comes with a web series. One can explore so much more. I am also producing two more web shows. And I am looking forward to it.