Who can forget when actor Raveena Tandon redefined sexiness in the yellow saree she sported in Tip Tip BarsaPaani (Mohra, 1994)?Or the crop tops and baggy jeans that became her signature in the ’90s? A trendsetter in the truest sense, the actor has always taken risks with her fashion choices.

Ask whether she has ever felt the pressure to live up to her glamorous onscreen image or prove her versatility through her roles and she quips, “Honestly not. I still do my own thing. It’s just that I like to experiment with different things. For the song Dil Mein Hai Tu featuring Akshay (Kumar) and me in Daava (1997), I went shopping with the choreographer to the Goa flea market and picked up the accessories myself. We created looks for the both of us on the set with those things.”

Are actors as willing to go the extra mile today? “A few adventurous stylists will be on board if you give them the idea. It also depends on what the actor wants. There is no need to spend crores to create mind-blowing looks,” insists Tandon.

The actor’s films, like her sartorial choices, have been as varied as they get. The 49-year-old has also had her share of critics. How did she keep them from affecting her choices back in the day? “Luckily, there was no fashion police as such in those days,” she says and adds, “We would walk out with a ponytail and track pants and not bother. Today, you have to be dressed to the nines. I see the pressure on the younger actors to do airport looks. As you grow older, you really don’t care. But it doesn’t mean you go out looking like a sloth!”

Tandon says she learnt this along the way. “I used to be experimental — that has not changed. But I have grown up enough to know what I should or should not be doing,” the actor shares, continuing, “It takes a couple of disasters when you are young to become more realistic about yourself,” she ends.

In a very busy phase of her career, Tandon is getting rave reviews for her latest OTT film Patna Shuklla, where she plays a lawyer. On the other hand, she wooed audiences when she played an ultra-glam ’90s heroine in the web series Karmma Calling, where her wardrobe choices were a hot topic of discussion.

The looks I created for the song Sheher Ki Ladki (from 2019’s Khandaani Shafakhana). Then there was a song called Dooba Dooba in a film called Vinashak (1998). I wore an all-metal outfit that Manish (Malhotra) made that me. I would get bruised because the metal scratched my skin while dancing. Saroj ji (Khan, choreographer) created a hectic dance number!

Rasha (daughter) and I were watching Mohra (1994) recently, and I realized that those crop tops, baggy and straight cut jeans are back. Rasha was like ‘Gosh, you wore things like these then!’ Those looks are very now. Except for the permed hair, it would be very fun.

I love dressing up in traditional wear like sarees or ghagra cholis, or just churidar kurtas. I am most comfortable in those.

A lot of ‘90s kids who meet me say they dressed up as me from Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast for fancy dress competitions. Everyone talks about my hoops and the stockings I wore under my skirt in Pathhar Ke Phool (1991). I am very grateful for these compliments.