Raveena Tandon had nearly refused Aranyak due to one thing – Beyond Bollywood

The actor disclosed how she was uncomfortable with the idea of a leopard or any animal being harmed in the script.

By Mayur Lookhar

90s actor Raveena Tandon had made her OTT debut with Netflix series Aranyak [2021]. The show largely received positive reviews. However, a year later, Tandon has revealed that she had nearly refused the show.

Tandon disclosed about it while speaking at the press conference of Anvayins Kaziranga Ultra Run, a wildlife conservation initiative aimed to create awareness on saving the rhinos of Assam.

The actor was asked about using cinema as a means to create awareness. Tandon was open to the idea and even disclosed about being offered a story on tiger conservation, but she refused as one has already seen films like Sherni [2021]. She also praised Rishab Shetty’s Kantara [2022] that also harped on the man vs nature conflict. It was then that Tandon revealed about refusing Aranyak if a certain thing wasn’t addressed.

“Vinay Waikul [writer] narrated Aranyak to me. He mentioned leopard and how in the original [script] Ashutosh Rana shoots it. I told him clearly that if any animal is harmed in the show, then I will not do it. So, we changed it. Look the animal is not interested in you. It is we who have encroached into their territory. Then we are stoning and shooting them. So, they changed the script,” said Tandon.

The actor urged all to support causes to curb deforestation. She, however, was mindful of the necessary development.

“Development is important for any country. Development and environment can work together hand in hand. For instance, if we are cutting forests and making it into roads, it is necessary to make highways, but make sure they are fenced, and there is over or under passes for the animals to go through. We’ve seen many animals dying on highways. We just need to fence it up. Be the voice for the tree that is being cut next to you,” said Tandon.

Fine words by Tandon but often the man vs nature debate is heavily skewed in the favour of man, owing to the ever-rising human population, especially in cities like Mumbai.

Acknowledging the same, Tandon said, “Unfortunately, it will always be in favour of man. I feel the purest souls are animals. Somehow, we [humans] lost our way. We lost the essence of what a life/soul, a living thing means.”

Tandon spelled it out clearly reminding people of the kind of world that one wants to leave behind for the future generations.

She sent a strong message in saying, “If we can’t take care of the planet, then we don’t have the right to give birth to our own. We may not live but they will have a lot to repair. Remember, we don’t have planet B. Elon Musk may have it, He’s got a spaceship. But we don’t. Where will we go? We haven’t even colonized moon. We have ruined this planet. Yes, there are natural disasters, but a lot of it is manmade.”

Despite the grim reality, Tandon was hopeful of a better future,

She says, “I’m an optimist. The way the schools are taking up environment, global warming issues seriously, so our gen next is aware. They speak of wildlife conservation. I’m hopeful that the new generation will take steps to prevent this planet from becoming a total loss.”