'I still have butterflies in my stomach'

Raveena Tandon, who completed her 30 years in the Bollywood industry reminisced how acting happened to her.

"When you say it aloud to yourself that it has been 30 years you have been doing this, it does not feel like that. Every new film or show or scene I do, I still have butterflies in my stomach. I am still learning as there is so much new technology. One is always a learner till the end," said the 46-year-old actor.

She added, "I am in this industry by default as I never wanted to be an actor. I was a little plump and reserved kid who bit her nails and was always conscious of people looking at her. Even in the class, I sat on the backbench. Fortunately for me, even in school, I got lead roles in the annual functions. It always worked for me strangely. I used to do it though I would be nervous."

Sharing her initial ambition for direction, Tandon recalled, "I think the metamorphism happened then. I joined Prahlad Kakkar (ad guru) as he always told me I need to be on screen but I used to say no. I started getting offers, but I refused. I got seven-eight offers before 'Patthar Ke Phool', like 'Jungle' and 'Heer Ranjha'. It was not that they were not great films to be associated with, but I had not made up my mind. It was destiny that the makers spotted me in my first year of college."

"The makers asked my father and said 'ghar ki bacchi hai, do not worry, everything will be taken care of'. The next day I went to college and told my friends 'guess what? I am doing a film with Salman Khan'. All of them begged me 'say yes, just do it for us. We will come on set, take pictures, after that if you do not want to act in films, do not'! I did that exactly and the rest is history," spoke Raveena on being approached for 'Patthar Ke Phool'.