Raveena Tandon on continuing Aranyak: ‘We don’t want it to be a victim of the curse-of-season-2 syndrome’

Raveena Tandon's recent project, Aranyak, has been receiving some rave reviews. The series is also Raveena’s digital debut and has some strong supporting characters. In an interview, the actress opened up about her digital debut, success, upcoming projects, and much more. Excerpts:

Congrats, Raveena, Your OTT debut Aranyak is a huge success. Did you expect it to do so well?

You know me well enough by now. I never go into anything with too many expectations. If it works, I am happy. If it doesn’t, I don’t sit and curse my kismet over it. Aranyak seemed special from the day it was narrated to me. I had earlier said no to so many web shows. Some of them went to be hit. I would sometimes wonder, did I make a mistake by saying no to those serials?

Do you regret not doing those serials you said no to?

Not at all. You know me better than that. I have no time or patience for regrets. I firmly believe what has to happen will happen at the right time. I never was the Friday-fever kind of star, shivering about the fate of my films every week. If they worked, and a majority of them did, fine. Or else better luck next time.

Aryanak has surprised many cynics by its level of acceptability. Do you think the OTT has opened new doors for actresses above 40?

I feel the doors were opening even before the OTT took over during the pandemic. The new generation of actresses like Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt had so much more to do in their films than I had an opportunity to do. Back then when I did something like Shool or Daman I was criticized for breaking the commercial economics. If you did something out of the box you were seen as a spoilsport. I had to work so hard on convincing Ram Gopal Varma that I was right for the role of the Bihari housewife in Shool. He was like, ‘Raveena, when I close my eyes I don’t see you in that character.’

So things have changed?

Considerably, but not only now after the OTT explosion. Even before doors were opening for actresses in Indian cinema. I was offered KGF 2 long before Aaranyak on Netflix. I was supposed to be in Part 1 also. But then, I was not sure if I wanted to be in a star-driven franchise. So they used my body double in Part 1. In Part 2 I am there in a significant role.

Are you sure it’s not your body double again?

Haha very funny. Those times when actors could get away by faking things on camera are over. Today’s audience is globally aware. It knows its cinema in and out.

You are on to Season 2 of Aranyak?

I am. And we are making sure that Season 2 is not just zabardasti ka. We don’t want Aranyak to be a victim of the curse-of-season-2 syndrome.

Are you now considering other offers on OTT?

I am looking at scripts. Most of them are very interesting and they have powerful roles for me. But I have to think of other factors. My children and my husband, who is the biggest kid of them all, need my time and attention. At this juncture of my life, I can’t be studio-hopping. I’ve nothing to prove.

Except that you are still the Cheez Badi mast?

Do I need to prove that?

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based journalist. He has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out.