In late November, after a visit to the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Raveena Tandon found herself at the centre of a controversy. It was alleged that the actor’s safari vehicle was too close to a tiger, and an investigation was promptly launched into the matter. But all’s well that ends well.

Last week, it was clarified that the concerned driver and guides were under probe, and Tandon had no role to play in the incident. The actor was subsequently invited by Madhya Pradesh’s forest department to experience the Van Mela. She has also been made the brand ambassador for the international herbal fair in Bhopal.

The actor says that tiger conservation was the focus of her discussion with Kunwar Vijay Shah, Minister of Forests, Madhya Pradesh, during her latest visit. “He is spearheading innovative conservation measures. The team showed me an improvised, electric version of Maruti Gypsy, which will hopefully be [used] soon in Madhya Pradesh [wildlife] parks,” says Tandon.

She is delighted that the state is adopting mitigation measures to bring down instances of animal roadkill. “Some highways cut through the forests. So, they have made overpasses and underpasses for the wildlife to cross over, and not end up as roadkills.”

As Maharashtra’s brand ambassador for wildlife, Tandon is happy to see that Indian states are conserving the country’s rich biodiversity. “Excellent work is being carried out in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. India probably has the highest number of tigers and rhinos in non-captivity.”

She has put the controversy behind her. Was she upset about it? “It was blown out of proportion. With the recent visit, [the forest team] made up for the unnecessary controversy. I enjoyed my day at the Satpura forest again. We saw the same tigress, as last time.”

Actor Raveena Tandon found herself in the midst of a controversy over a video she shot during a safari at the Satpura Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh). It has been alleged that during Tandon’s visit to the reserve on November 22, her vehicle went very close to a tiger and even blocked its path. A probe has been initiated in the matter, and the vehicle driver and officials on duty there will be served a notice, reports PTI.

Clearing the air, the actor tweeted on Wednesday that the vehicle she was in is a Forest Department licensed vehicle. She went on to say that she was accompanied by guides and drivers “who are trained to know their boundaries and legalities”.

She also said the tigress in question is known to charge at vehicles: “Luckily for us, we did not take any sudden action, but sat quiet and watched the tigress, move on. We were on the tourism path, which mostly these tigers cross. And Katy the tigress in this video as well is habituated to coming close to vehicles and snarling (sic).”

A source tells us that the actor and her daughter, Rasha, were not bothering the animal. “The tigress walked up to the vehicle, no one made any noise. In fact, the driver was trying to move away from Katy’s path, as is clearly visible in the video. Why would any of the parties have shared videos and photos online, if they were guilty? Why would they invite trouble?”

No notice has been served to Tandon yet. “There can be no probe or notice on tourists in the jeep as it’s not their fault,” the source adds.

Narmadapuram (MP): The Satpura Tiger Reserve authorities have started an investigation after a video purportedly showed a vehicle, in which Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon was allegedly travelling, close to a tiger during a safari, an official said on Tuesday.

The video, which surfaced on social media platforms, showed the safari vehicle reaching close to a tiger. In the clip, camera shutters are heard making sounds and a tiger is seen roaring at them. Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) of Forest Dheeraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said following the directives of senior officials, he has started a probe into the alleged incident. He said during Tandon's visit to the reserve on November 22, her vehicle allegedly reached near a tiger.