Believe in karma? If not, the cast of Karmma Calling, actor Raveena Tandon, Varun Sood and director Ruchi Narain will make you believe in it, just as they did when they visited Hindustan Times House. The trio sat down for a fun chat with Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor (Entertainment & Lifestyle, HT) and team HT City, where they spoke about the show, their journey as actors, and more. Their wit and wisdom (mostly from Tandon) made it a memorable visit. 

Actor Raveena Tandon, who plays Indrani Kothari in Karmma Calling, revealed that the Indian remake of the American show Revenge came to her a decade ago, but as a television series instead of OTT. “We (Ruchi Narain and her) had to put it on the backburner then, because firstly, I was not ready to play Indrani professionally. Secondly, the dates [commitment] they wanted were a lot because TV is a longer format. Web series made it sleeker and more compact,” Tandon shared.

As season 1 ends on a cliffhanger, the buzz around the next season has already started, but there’s no confirmation yet. The Aranyak actor feels the trend of delaying the seasons of web shows should stop. “The makers and OTT platforms should bridge this gap. Investing so much in a set, breaking it down, and then again putting money into it doesn’t make sense. It’s better for business to finish everything in one go,” she said.

The 49-year-old was asked if a remake of any of her iconic films, Andaz Apna Apna (1994) in particular, would interest her, to which Tandon said no. “Once a classic is done, it is done. The remake might be good, but there will always be comparisons,” feels the actor, adding that remakes of popular songs featuring her are fine because “I end up owning it all over again”. 

As the conversation steered towards the new generation, the mother of four said there’s a lot to learn from gen Zers. “I have jitters before my releases, and guess who lectures me? Rasha! Gen Z is more aware and exposed,” she asserts. 

Tandon, who is a 90s diva, is happy that trends from that era are back. “I’m wearing all my 90s clothes again and even Rasha is wearing them. I still have the leather shirt from Sheher Ki Ladki (Rakshak, 1996),” shared the actor.

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There were certain things about Raveena that were well-suited for Indrani. One was the way she looks and the other was she has a lot of strength and conviction in herself. I felt she would be able to relate to the sentiment of Indrani. Other than that she’s not really like Indrani.

- RUCHI NARAIN, DIRECTOR

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From a video jockey (VJ) to a reality star, big screen to OTT — Varun Sood has had quite a journey. The actor opened up how the audience’s perception changed towards him. “The transition had to be evident, so I gave myself two years of not being on camera at all. I wanted people to see me in Karmma Calling and say, ‘Oh he’s an actor now!’” Sood said.

The 28-year-old, who made appearances in films such as Jug Jugg Jeeyo (2022)and web series Ragini MMS Returns, calls actors Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and his co-star Raveena Tandon, his inspiration. When asked how Sood gets a lot of attention for the way he looks, he opined that for an actor, the craft takes precedence. “A person can be good-looking but you can’t watch them onscreen for even two minutes. One becomes endearing onscreen because they know their craft really well,” Sood added.

Having said that, he feels fame takes a toll on one’s private life. He recalls how, during his reality TV stint, a lot of things about his personal life came out. “I’m not blaming anyone; it just happened. I’m not liable to put my personal life out there,” he shared, adding, “But, right now, I’m at peace. I have enough space where I can protect my private life,” he shared.

While wrapping up, Sood was asked if he would like to work with Tandon’s daughter Rasha, who used to visit them on the show’s sets, and he replied, “Rasha is a fun person, and I would love to work with her.”