Ready to play judge, Raveena Tandon on reuniting with her first co-star Salman Khan on Nach Baliye 9
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; July 23, 2019)

Considering her dance numbers used to be a rage upon release, it is only fitting that Raveena Tandon brings in her expertise as a judge on Nach Baliye 9. What makes the dance reality show special to the actor is that it sees her teaming up with her longtime friend and first Bollywood co-star, Salman Khan. As the producer of the series, the superstar made an appearance in the inaugural episodes that aired over the weekend.

"He told everyone that he knows me since the last 120 years," laughs Tandon, pointing out that Khan's deadpan humour hasn't changed since their Patthar Ke Phool (1991) days. "There's a comfort factor with him. We spoke non-stop on the set, but when the episode was telecast, I realised that they had edited out a major chunk due to time constraints. We then told each other, 'Why did we talk so much?'"

While the two had subsequently teamed up for the cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna (1994), Tandon says her debut film dominated their chat on the set. "We kept remembering [anecdotes from] the film's shoot. We go back 29 years, so one can well imagine our conversation."

Having judged several shows, including Sabse Bada Kalakar, the actor is at home screening participants and rating their acts. "I don't believe in being too strict. My job is not to berate the contestants but to encourage them. They are all doing their best. No one intentionally wants to give a bad performance."