Akshay Kumar and Raveena Tandon were once among the most talked-about couples in Bollywood. Their highly publicised relationship in the 1990s, which started after they starred together in the 1994 hit film Mohra, did not last and the two eventually parted ways. However, after 22 years, they will be seen together again on the big screen in Ahmed Khan’s Welcome To The Jungle. In a recent interaction, Ahmed spoke about the reunion and shared insights into how he approached the actors for the film and how they reacted.
‘We are all actors and grown up’
Speaking to Mid-Day, Ahmed called Raveena and Akshay his close friends, stating that he has known them for 30 years and is aware of what has happened in their personal lives. However, he also shared that Akshay encouraged him to cast whoever best suited the role.
He further revealed Raveena’s reaction when he approached her for the film, which has Akshay playing the lead role. “She said, ‘So what? We are all actors and grown up. We are all friends and we will have a blast on the sets,’” he recalled.
‘Akshay and Raveena joked, spoke about their kids’
Ahmed went on to reveal that although Akshay and Raveena are not romantically paired in the film, they do share several scenes and will also feature together in a song, choreographed by Rahul Shetty and Prince Gupta.
Sharing a behind-the-scenes moment from the shoot, where Akshay and Raveena filmed the song with Suniel Shetty cheering them on, he said, “There is a sequence of Akshay and Raveena dancing together. The whole set clapped. Suniel Shetty, who also starred in Mohra, came in and said, ‘Arre, mere Mohra ki jodi aa gayi’. It’s a small industry and everybody grows over their past and moves on. Off set, Raveena and Akshay were friends only — joking, having fun, and talking about their kids. We reminisced about the past and work from earlier movies.”
Raveena and Akshay’s relationship
Raveena Tandon and Akshay Kumar’s relationship dates back to the mid-1990s. They fell in love while shooting Mohra in 1994. They eventually secretly engaged in the late 1990s, which both actors later confirmed publicly. It is said that both families were in attendance, and traditional rituals were performed at the engagement ceremony. However, the relationship soon faced strain. Akshay and Raveena remained cordial and are now married to Twinkle Khanna and Anil Thadani.