In 2021, actor Raveena Tandon made her foray into the streaming world with Aranyak. Given the series’ instant popularity, a sequel was announced soon after. It has been over three years since the announcement; but Raveena has confirmed to us that the second season has officially been shelved.

“I can now say it. It’s not happening,” she says, adding, “Earlier, we all had hope. In fact, season two was written, but I don’t think they were able to crack a good script. Expectations were so high that the platform didn’t want to spoil that.”

Despite the disappointment, the actor acknowledges that streaming has given her career a new direction. “It opened more avenues for [stars from the ’90s]. We are getting to experiment with different roles; we wouldn’t have got a chance to do that in a movie. It becomes very interesting to get that kind of scope to play around with your role in the freedom you get here,” she shares.

Amongst those opportunities is her second series, Karmma Calling, where she played a morally grey character. “I’ve always wanted to do a negative role because I feel they have more fun. Why should villains and vamps have all the fun?” she quips and continues, “One shouldn’t limit themselves but push their boundaries to see what they’ve not done before. This year, the awards are coming in for negative roles and that is a positive beginning for me.”

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.”

Like many of us, Namrata Sheth had devoured the American drama, Revenge, when it aired over a decade ago. Little did she know that she would star in its Indian adaptation one day. The actor was thrilled when she was asked to audition for Karmma Calling, led by Raveena Tandon.

“Guilty Minds [2022] had just come out, and I was waiting for the next opportunity. That’s when they reached out to me for the Revenge adaptation. I instantly had butterflies in my stomach because I had watched this show growing up and loved it,” she smiles.

In the Disney+ Hotstar series that also stars Waluscha De Sousa and Varun Sood, Sheth plays the titular role of Karma, who makes her way into an affluent family, headed by Tandon’s character Indrani Kothari, to seek revenge. She says sharing screen space with Tandon elevated her performance.

“We had an inherent chemistry on screen; that fieriness came organically. She is so good as this character that it became easier for me to play off her. She brought nuances to the role. I learnt so much from her during the process,” she marvels.

As a relative newcomer, it was an enriching experience for Sheth to work with Tandon, who has been in the industry for over three decades. What did she admire most about her co-star? Her refusal to be complacent, and her constant attempt to reinvent herself.

“My biggest takeaway was watching her passion and fire even after so many years in the industry. She still gives her all. To not get jaded by your experience and be hungry to reinvent is such a rare quality. She has it in abundance.”