WHY RAVEENA DIDN’T SNAP A PHOTO AND HOW IT ENDED WELL

Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 15, 2024)

We often hear about celebrities facing uncomfortable situations with fans, from rudeness to invasion of privacy. But the recent event involving actor Raveena Tandon in London and her fan, who wanted a photo, has shifted the gears and focused on a heartwarming encounter.   

On Friday, Raveena took to Instagram to share her side of the story about why she didn’t take a picture with the fan. She recounts being in a hotel back alley when two men approached her, repeatedly asking, “Are you Raveena?” Feeling alone and uneasy, she quickened her pace, alarmed by the events in June this year, including a troubling mob incident outside her Mumbai home.

“They didn’t ask for a photo; they just kept questioning if I was Raveena. With the crime rate in London and stories of people getting robbed, I was on edge. The road was empty, and if it had been busier, I might not have panicked so much. Since the Mumbai incident, I’ve become more cautious around crowds,” the 49-year-old actor explains to us over a phone call. She later apologized in her Instagram post and expressed her desire to meet the fans again.

This situation had a positive twist. The fan, Bhavin Patel, reached out to Raveena’s manager on Instagram, understanding her perspective and reassuring her, “I can fully understand that it can be scary for a woman when approached by strangers. There’s no need for an apology.”

Raveena responded warmly, inviting the fans to meet her at an event she attended on Saturday evening. She shares her thoughts on fan interactions, saying, “I’m not rude and generally try to accommodate fan requests because we owe our success to them. However, aggressive fans are challenging. Some want to touch a celebrity to confirm they’re real, or sometimes they are overwhelmed, which I understand. I’m comfortable with elderly fans having their arm around me, but not anyone else.”