Raveena Tandon on pay disparity in the 90s: ‘Actresses used to run from studio to studio’
Actor Raveena Tandon spoke about her latest revenge web series Karmma Calling, staying relevant all these years and what she learns from her daughter Rasha.
Actor Raveena Tandon is glad she managed to stay relevant all these years. The 90s diva, who visited Hindustan Times, got candid about her career and personal life.
An inspiration for her sartorial choices, Tandon said fashion is a cycle and the 90s trends are back. “I’m wearing all my 90s clothes again, and luckily I’m fitting in them. I still have the leather shirt of Sheher Ki Ladki, the denim jacket with a scorpion design from Patthar Ke Phool (1991). Imagine, now Rasha is wearing them,” she said.
Tandon, who is currently seen playing Indrani Kothari in the revenge web series Karmma Calling, revealed that the Indian remake of American show Revenge came to her a decade ago, but for TV.
(Also read: Karmma Calling review: Raveena Tandon is ravishing in this pulpy series with diminishing returns)
“We had to put it on a backburner then, because firstly, I was not ready to play Indrani professionally. Secondly, the kind of dates they wanted was a lot. TV is a longer format. The series has made it sleeker, and little more compact,” Tandon said.
The 49-year-old might be happy about Karmma Calling, but in no way, she would root for remaking any of her fan favourite films. Talking about the sequel of classic comedy Andaz Apna Apna (1994) in particular, Tandon opined that remakes are not a good option. According to her, “Once a classic is done, it is done. The remake might be good at its level, but comparisons will still be there.”
She however seemed fine about remaking songs, as they make the tracks more relatable with the current generation. “Remixes inject a new life into the song. Many of my songs have been remixed and I end up owning it all over again. I believe the same cannot happen with movies. Everything has its time and magic,” Tandon reiterated. Her songs Tip Tip Barsa Paani and Sheher Ki Ladki have been remixed in the past.
When questioned about her peak, when she used to run between several sets, Tandon agreed that she used to shoot for 12 films on a single day. “In those days, there was obviously pay disparity. What the hero got, you’d probably get that after doing 20 films. We actresses used to run from studio to studio,” she said.
A mother of four, including two adopted daughters, Tandon said there’s a lot to learn from the gen Z. Calling them resilient and stronger, she said Rasha was more matured than she was at her age.
“I have jitters before my releases and guess who lectures me. My husband tells Rasha, ‘are you 18 or 81?’. Gen Z is more aware and exposed. They are AI (artificial intelligence) themselves!” she said with a laugh.
Tandon, who continues to be called “Ravishing Raveena”, seemed in no mood to slow down. The actor, who’s been part of projects such as Maatr, KGF 2, Aranyak and as a judge of several reality shows, shared that the trend of delaying the finale episodes or seasons of web shows should stop, as it comes heavily on the producers.
“The producers and OTT platforms should bridge this gap. You’ve created that huge set, invested so much, that it doesn’t make sense to break it down, then again put money. Even producers want that because it makes better business sense. It is also heavy on profit for the channel,” she said.
