Raveena Tandon is making a return to Tamil cinema after 24 years (her last Kollywood outing was Kamal Haasan’s Aalavandhan in 2001) with Lawyer, starring Vijay Antony. In a chat with us, the actress shares that she is excited to work in Tamil again after all these years and delving into how she picks her films, says, “Obviously, the role should be good. And you have to have faith in your director. So, it's a combination of everything.” Excerpts:

The actress reveals that she has always loved filming in the South and adds, “I was wondering why I get less work in the South. Whether it's Tamil, Telugu or Kannada cinema, just being down south is an enjoyable treat. I love the kind of work done here, and I want to work here more often. I'm also a fan of South Indian food. Even in the ’90s, I used to go back to Mumbai after filming here and tell people that it’s so refreshing in the South because everyone's so focused. The films made here are deeply rooted in the culture, traditions, and rituals of the place they are set in. Therefore, people can identify with films on a mass level.”

Now that she is back on a Tamil film set, Raveena informs us that she is “refreshing and polishing my Tamil again”. She elaborates, “Once I go back to Mumbai, I forget the language because no one talks in Tamil there. So now, I'm catching up with Tamil words again. Everyone here gets surprised when I speak the language and ask me, ‘Oh, you remember Tamil?’ I say, 'Yeah, it's all coming back to me.’ Tamil is a beautiful language. The actual ethos of India comes from all our indigenous languages.”

Raveena tells us that she currently doesn't have any aspirations and is rather going with the flow. “It's great to work with young blood because they've got fresh and innovative ideas. Working with them keeps you updated, and you also get to enjoy different working styles. I keep hearing of such superb new directors, music composers, and talent coming up from the South, and that is always very tempting. I want to work with many directors from the South. I also want to do a film with my Hyderabad gang again,” states the actress.

Raveena has a rather interesting take on essaying grey characters. “I enjoy playing grey characters. You might watch a character and think that they are grey, but in their mind, they are only doing what they think is right for them. For example, in KGF - Chapter 2 (2022), my character (Ramika Sen) was not grey. She was doing what was right for her country. It's our perception that makes us think who's a grey character and who's not,” she shares.

Elaborating on her experience working on Lawyer, Raveena reveals, “Although I have played a lawyer in Patna Shukla (2024), my character in Lawyer will be completely different. When I heard the film's plot from director Joshua (Sethuraman), I loved it. We are now shooting at such a pace that I feel two films can be made here in the time they shoot one in Mumbai or anywhere else in the world. And I'm thoroughly enjoying it because I hate wasting time. Wastage of time is wastage of the producer's money. I like it when the whole team is out there and working hard with josh.”

Quiz her about KGF - Chapter 3 — the third film in the action franchise, starring Yash — and she says, “I think the makers wanted to give the franchise a break because they didn't want the third film to come out very soon. They wanted to give it a little time so that people's curiosity would increase. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that a third film happens.”

Sanjay Dutt’s Adheera wasn’t the only force of evil in KGF - Chapter 2 (2022). Raveena Tandon was equally menacing, if not more, as the shrewd politician Ramika Sen in the action drama. As the corrupt Prime Minister of India during the 1980s, Ramika’s violent methods of execution, and her determination to go to any lengths to hold her position of power made her an intimidating character.

Director Prashanth Neel had hinted at KGF’s third instalment in the film’s post-credits. Recently, executive producer Karthik Gowda and producer Vijay Kirgandur confirmed that KGF: Chapter 3 is in the works. So, will we see Tandon reprise her negative role?

“They have announced up to KGF - Chapter 5, but I am not sure I may be around till then,” the actor laughs, before adding, “I am looking forward to shooting for KGF - Chapter 3, though I don’t think it will begin this year.”

To Tandon, Ramika is one of the darkest and most nuanced roles she has played in a long time. Asked if her character will turn more ruthless in the next instalment, the actor disagrees, saying, “Prashanth is a man of surprises. So, one doesn’t know the twists and turns that Ramika’s character may take. She can become [positive] too. Prashanth is clear about what he wants, and knows exactly what to extract from an actor. Sometimes, during the shoot, I would feel I have gone a bit over-the-top, but he would always say, ‘No ma’am, just feel the scene and do it.’”

After the Kannada drama, Tandon is keen to explore more negative parts. She has a caveat — no grey characters, she wishes to play an all-black role. “I am waiting to play an out-and-out dark role. I don’t know why it hasn’t come to me yet. I think people don’t see me as evil,” she laughs. “I want to play a character that is wicked without any justification. It would push my boundaries as an actor.”

Recently, actor Hemant Choudhary almost got conned by someone who posed as a casting agent for the south film KGF Chapter 3. Hemant says, “Last month, I got a message on Instagram from a person saying that they were casting for a big south project. They said that they had seen my recent work in the web show Aashram, where I played a police inspector and wanted my number. I then got a call from a guy who said they were considering me for the role of a police commissioner. They asked me to audition for it, so I sent them a clip. Later, I was told that I had been finalized and they sent me documents, which looked like a formal agreement.”

He further narrates, “Then they asked me if I had a Kannada film industry card, which was necessary. They said my Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) card wasn’t enough and that I would have to pay them Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000 to get the other card. When the guy insisted that I transfer the money online, I got suspicious. I called a friend who is an actor in Kannada films and asked him to find out about this. He told me the card wasn’t necessary and even found out that the makers of KGF 3 weren’t casting for this role. That’s when I realized that I was being conned.”

He adds, “Even with 20 years experience, I almost fell prey to this casting call scam. Imagine what a new actor would go through. Since 10,000 is not such a big amount, newcomers may take a chance. I confronted the guy, but he refused to admit to anything. I am speaking about this to create awareness. KGF 3 is a big film and I hope the production house gets to know that there are some people trying to con actors.