I also love being in front of the camera: Rasha
In her first-ever interview, Rasha Thadani, daughter of actor Raveena Tandon, talks about her passion for wildlife photography and her big-screen debut
Monika Rawal Kukreja (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 19, 2023)

She is yet to debut as an actor, but looks like star kid Rasha Thadani has quite a fan following already, thanks to her photography skills. On World Photography Day today, Rasha says it is her mother, actor Raveena Tandon (48), who inspired her to take up wildlife photography.

“I was eight when she took us for our first tiger safari to Ranthambore (Rajasthan). I would watch her use the camera and get so excited to see the final shots. I’d use her phone camera, which was obviously easier to operate, but it was a start,” says the 18-year-old, who came fourth at the Jaipur Tiger Photography Festival 2022.

She was bitten by the “photography keeda” when she visited the Bandhavgarh National Park (Madhya Pradesh) in 2021 and took her first wildlife shot. “It has grown ever since,” says Rasha, who looks up to wildlife photographers Varun Aditya, Shaaz Jung and Sarosh Lodhi.

She shares, “The thrill of being on the trail of a predator, following pug marks and alarm calls, the sudden animal sighting... it is indescribable. Capturing such moments on camera is even more thrilling. I was a little stressed as the animal kept moving, so to capture the correct moment or angle, in the right lighting, is important. Somehow, my first few shots came out better than I had expected. I’m still learning and improving my photography skills.”

‘MY MUM IS MY ROLE MODEL’
Ahead of her Bollywood debut, Rasha says that there’s a lot she has learnt from her mum, Raveena Tandon, and will continue to do so. She says, “Her guidance is invaluable to me, not because she’s an actor, but because she’s my mum. She has handled herself with such grace and maturity and I want to be like her 100%. She’s my role model and I look up to her for everything. I’d still go to her for career advice even if she wasn’t a part of the film industry. She always has my back.”

While Rasha Thadani’s tryst with photography started only recently, she says even as a kid, she would always look for interesting things to capture. “I used to have a small digital camera and I would roam around my farmhouse trying to find interesting things to click. I would also have it with me around the house, and suddenly go, ‘Papa smile!’ I would take pictures of my daadi, my brother, my dogs... basically whatever I found around the house, I used to try to make a story of it,” recounts Rasha and adds, “I now click pictures of Indian wildlife, which is a lot more interesting.”

Tryst with the wildlife
Explaining what fascinates her the most while she’s out there capturing animals, the photography enthusiast tells us, “Photography is a lot about luck and timing. Having sightings with interesting behaviour is not something that happens every day. Timing is also important to capture the exact moment that you want — that split second of the tiger looking at you or the bird opening its wings. There’s no retake in wildlife photography.”

INTRODUCING RASHA THADANI
CAMERA GIRL, ALWAYS
From enjoying her time behind the camera to facing it for the first time, Rasha admits it was surreal. Daughter of actor Raveena Tandon and producer Anil Thadani, she says, “As much as I love capturing moments, I also love being in front of the camera. Ever since I was a child, I used to ask my mum to film me dancing or singing. There are a few videos where I’ve either recited a poem or sang a song and then said, ‘Mama show me’... When I had to face the camera for the first time, I can’t describe that feeling. I was nervous, scared, but extremely excited at the same time! Growing up, I had witnessed my mum flawlessly doing her parts, and that gave me the confidence to do the same.”

A PAP FAVOURITE, ALREADY
As fans await Rasha’s first look from her debut film, she seems to be already enjoying spotlight as a favourite among the paparazzi. Ask how she’s taking this all in and the 18-year-old replies, “People have been really sweet and kind to me. I’m grateful for all the love and positivity I’ve been receiving. It’s slightly overwhelming at such an early age, but I love it!”

What’s in store
The fact that she has started shooting for her film, slated to release in February 2024, she must be getting used to how the film industry functions.

She shares, “As of now, I love the fact that I can put my creative self out there. I’ve always been a performing arts girl. Even through school, I was always the theatre or the music girl. I’ve just begun my journey and I’m excited to see what’s to unfold.

Speaking of any potential challenges, she adds, “Being from a film background predisposes you to a certain kind of pressure and expectation from the audience. I hope to live up to that.”

INTRODUCING RASHA THADANI