Raveena: The true story

Raj Vaidya

This is a side to Raveena Tandon that few know.

Only recently, she was negotiating with South producer Kalaippuli S Thanu to star opposite Kamal Haasan, in his ambitious bilingual project, Abhay (Aala Vandhan, in Tamil.)

Thanu is handling the production for Kamal Haasan, as the latter felt that writing the screenplay and the Tamil dialogues of the film, besides acting in a dual role would prove too much for the actor. Thanu had also earlier produced the Tabu-Aishwarya starrer, Kandukondain Kandukondain.

To come back to Raveena, talks between producer and actress hadn't quite concluded when Raveena learnt that Thanu's wife had been hospitalised -- she was battling cancer.

The news was enough for Raveena to drop all thoughts of negotiation. She promptly agreed to act, whatever the price.

A grateful Thanu explains, "All this because she didn't want to add to my worries, what with my wife being ill."