Raveena Tandon on surviving the toxic 90s yellow journalism culture before social media: 'No one was allowed to live'

Raveena Tandon has opened up about how difficult it was for actors to deal with damaging headlines before social media gave celebrities a direct line to their audience. In a candid conversation on ‘Not Done Yet: The Malini Agarwal Show,’ the actor reflected on 1990s Bollywood, the impact of yellow journalism, changing media culture, and how public figures today can respond faster through platforms like Instagram.

Raveena Tandon on yellow journalism in Bollywood

Speaking to Malini Agarwal on Episode 2 of ‘Not Done Yet,’ a podcast by Times Entertainment, Raveena Tandon said the old media system often left actors helpless. She said, “I think yellow journalism had no control that time. And one could not probably even clear the air sooner, faster, like you can now do on Instagram or put out a post and you have a direct interaction with your audience, which was not earlier.”






Raveena said access to editors could decide how a story played out. She added, “Earlier, if you were in the good books of the editor, then things would work out for you. Otherwise, if you were just a private person. No, you weren’t allowed to live then.”


The actor said negative headlines would leave lasting damage, even when a correction followed later. “So that was, you just had to wait till the next headline and a very tiny apology which really made no sense. So the headline just, the damage was done by that. sat on in people’s minds, and the damage was done, and there was no reversing it,” she said. Raveena added that it became “a phase of really being bothered about everything.”

Raveena Tandon talks Bollywood, paparazzi and social media

The episode also looked at how Bollywood has changed from the 1990s to today’s digital-first world. Raveena spoke about industry dynamics, paparazzi culture, and social media's growing role in shaping a celebrity’s public image. The actress also gave viewers a personal glimpse into her bond with her children. She reflected on her long career and her work in meaningful, message-driven cinema. The episode added a Gen Z touch with questions from internet personalities Orry and Ruhee Dosani, as well as from Raveena’s daughter, Rasha Thadani. Raveena also surprised the team by humming a few lines from one of her iconic songs during the conversation.

Raveena Tandon on work front

On the work front, Raveena Tandon was last seen in ‘Patna Shuklla’ and ‘Ghudchadi’ in 2024. She is next set to appear in Ahmed Khan’s ‘Welcome to the Jungle,’ which also stars Akshay Kumar and a large ensemble cast. The film is listed for release on June 26, 2026. She is also attached to ‘Maa Vande’ and the Tamil film ‘Vishwanath and Sons.’ Reports also say she will return to Tamil cinema with Vijay Antony’s courtroom drama ‘Lawyer.’Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”