Back in the 1950s’ tail end, Agra’s streets sent a dreamer to Mumbai’s Filmistan. Penniless but ambitious for medicine, PMT defeat pivoted him to directing. Ravi Tandon, cinema’s gentle surgeon, soon excelled at narrative surgery.
A February 17, 1935, Punjabi family birth in Agra marked his start. Mumbai meant bit parts at 100 bucks—thugs, officers. Insights from ‘Love in Simla’ (1960) shifted his focus rearward.
Discipline from RK Nayyar paved way; Manoj Kumar handed ‘Balidan’ (1971). Bucking 70s brawls, Tandon pioneered psych-thrillers and song-suspense hybrids.
‘Anhonee’ (1973) with Sanjeev Kumar masterfully unravels mental fragility. In ‘Majboor’ (1974), Amitabh’s determined invalid steals the show with edge-of-seat twists.
Inventing musical whodunits, ‘Khel Khel Mein’ (1975) mixes frolic, Pancham tunes, and slaying suspense, crowning Rishi-Neetu legends.
Nepotism? Tandon shunned it—Raveena self-made via ‘Patthar Ke Phool’, versatile like dad in ‘Shool’, ‘Daman’. Ravi-Veena inspired her moniker; kin was core.
Crisp edits defined him; genius pairings with Laxmikant-Pyarelal, RD Burman spawned classics: ‘Khullam Khulla’, ‘I Love You’ in English.
February 11, 2022, ended his era. ‘Ravi Tandon Chowk’ in Juhu, Braj Ratna 2020 affirm his stature. His directorial pulse beats on.