Raveena Tandon on Karmma Calling, the Hindi remake of Revenge: ‘I have never played a character like Indrani Kothari’

Raveena Tandon was the heroine of 1990s commercial films such as Mohra, Dilwale and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, a National Award winner for her role in Daman, and made her OTT debut in the Netflix crime drama series Aranyak. In the 2021 thriller series, she played a cop investigating a murder mystery. Now, the 51-year-old actress plays socialite Indrani Kothari in the thriller Karmma Calling. Tandon spoke about stepping into the shoes of Victoria Grayson (played by Madeleine Stowe) in the American series Revenge:

It is true that you were first offered Indrani’s part 10 years ago?

When the show came to me initially, it was to be on Star Plus. Since it was more of a television show format, it required too many days from me. My kids were really young then so to give 280 days out of 365 days was not working out for me. ‘Karmma Calling’ is a thriller where each episode gives you a sense of gratification – of a wronged person being righted. The original show Revenge was so interesting, and this is an official adaptation. Ten years ago, it went on to the backburner. Ruchi and I have been friends for years and one day she said I'm getting that out show again and you are still my only choice. This time she asked me for just about 50 days so I said OK. The OTT format is different and you have to put whatever there is in those eight episodes. You're not shooting forever.

Did you watch ‘Revenge’ in the context of this adaptation?

I've only seen the first season of the original show because I believe in playing the character in my way. It doesn't have to be exactly how someone has done it earlier. I only watched it to imbibe the entire feeling of the show, the atmosphere, the characters, but not the way the characters are portrayed.

What aspect of playing Indrani was most appealing to you?

I have played characters who have been completely moralistic and completely heroic. I have also played characters who are grey. But this excited me because I have never played someone like her. When you're watching, you're actually not sure whether to feel bad for her or do you want bad to happen to her, or do you believe karma is truly giving her what she deserves. It’s the kind of character where you don't know, honestly, whether she's the one who's been wronged, or whether she's the one who has done the wrong. That was tricky to play and exciting as well. Also, ‘Karmma Calling’ is a thriller which is like instant noodles. Honestly, there are some shows which even I fast forward to see when and where something is going to happen. But you will be instantly glued to ‘Karmma Calling’.

This is obviously a very different role from the cop Kasturi Dogra in ‘Aranyak’. On what basis are you accepting or rejecting roles these days?

The director is definitely the first thing I look at. The director should be solid. Then the script and the character that I'm playing. A lot of artists are very happy playing characters that they are most comfortable with. I work it the other way. I try to play characters that I'm absolutely not comfortable playing. Only then is it a challenge for me. I want to push the envelope to see how far I can take myself, to push myself beyond the limits of what I know I can do. That is what excites me. Kasturi is totally different from what you're seeing with Indrani.

In that case, in what way did you push yourself to play Indrani?

Considering that we all live in the city and we are all city people, it is not very difficult to portray Indrani. What was difficult was to get that middle path of Indrani either being someone you hate or someone you love. Getting that balance was tough. There were times where I would just take a step back and then get back into Indrani's skin to do the scene again.

What will we be seeing you in after this?

A couple of films are on the floors already. I am also excited about another show coming up. Then there's a film that will be released on Hotstar, in a month of two.

NAMRATA SHETH

Namrata Sheth in a still from Karmma Calling.

It took auditions and callbacks before Namrata Sheth, who plays lawyer Shubhangi Khanna in Guilty Minds (Amazon Prime Video), bagged the part of Karma Talwar in Karmma Calling. The young actress spoke about the process of landing the part and why it is significant in her fledgling journey

How did you land the part of Karma?

I got an email from the casting directors saying that they were doing an Indian adaptation of ‘Revenge’, which is an ABC series in Hollywood that I grew up watching. I was a huge fan. Instantly, I had that butterflies feeling in my stomach and I felt this has to work. But one is auditioning so much and it's hard to get through and get a part because there are so many factors that determine who gets what. I went into the audition just the way I usually do. They called me back once more and then again, a third time when they tested Varun and me together. Soon after that I met Ruchi and, apparently, she was very quickly convinced that I could do this and she could visualise me as this character. I'm very grateful that she decided to take a chance on me because, coming from the outside, it's not very often that you can convince people to take a chance on you.  Raveena Tandon being attached with Ruchi directing, were just bonuses upon bonuses. I also feel the original show has themes that are tailor-made for Indian audiences — like karma and dharma, the family dynamics. So, seeing it made with our Indian culture and sensibilities in mind was very exciting. And for me, specifically, getting to headline something like this as a newcomer — I can't believe it's happening.

How would you describe Karma, because she's obviously motivated by something personal. What was it like to get into that character?

It was a long process to get into the character because she's nothing like me. I'm a very open person and not someone who can have that sort of hardness. I'm way more chilled out than her. So to understand those emotional complexities was a process. We had to do a lot of workshops. I did a lot of readings with Ruchi, we discussed what we wanted her to be. It was a journey and it wasn't the easiest, because you're dealing with such heavy emotions all the time. I really had to tap into that and find a way to make it real for myself. She's the kind of person who is feeling so many things, but she doesn't show anything on her face. So, while my face couldn't show emotion, I did have to feel it, because that's the only way I could make the character relatable. It took a while, but I really enjoyed it. For any actor to get a chance to play a character that's so layered and so different from who they are, that's the kind of opportunity you crave.

Any future work lined up?

I just want to work with great people and be a part of stories that excites me. Getting a big film is still the dream, but I don’t think you can plan the journey of getting there. I believe you should surrender to what's coming your way, make sure you work hard at everything you do and find a way to become a credible, bankable actor that can consistently stay working. I want this to be a long-term career. I am open to opportunities, so let’s see what the future holds.

VARUN SOOD

Varun Sood (far right) in a still from Karmma Calling.

After a run with a few reality TV shows (such as Roadies and Splitsvilla), Varun Sood landed a cameo in the multi-starring Jugjugg Jeeyo (2022). Playing Ahaan Kothari is a big break for the aspiring actor who shared his feeling about his first web series and his aspirations.

Have you watched Revenge?

I have. My two sisters were very heavily into the show so while growing up, I did watch it. When I got the part, I had to tell them first and then both of them insisted I re-watch the show. I said I’d rather not because I didn’t want to unintentionally copy Daniel Grayson (played by Josh Bowman). I was too young to be like a die-hard fan but my sisters forced me to watch it then and secretly I did enjoy it.

Why were you keen on playing Ahaan Kothari?

I think the fact that Ahaan comes from a really rich family and yet he has kept his humility intact. He’s still down to earth and a loving person. As much as he is from the world of the Kotharis, he's also not. I think that innocence of the character really attracted me to the role. I knew that if I worked on my emotional quotient through the workshops with this one, I would do a decent job. Obviously the character was great, and the story was great. Coming from a non-film background, to get a show like this is just a dream. And the moment such an opportunity comes to people like Namrata and me, we are in it to win it, and we are going to put in all the hard work and make sure we establish ourselves as bankable actors. So apart from it being a great show and great characters, I think the opportunity attracted me the most.

This is your first series. How was the experience?

I had a special cameo appearance in Jugjugg Jeeyo. I literally shot for two and a half days. I really wished I was part of something big in a bigger way. A series like this has given me the taste of being part of something big. A series is a longer format than a film and gives you time to develop the character, to know the nuances of a character a little more. Before we went on the Karmma Calling set, so much prep went into it. I really enjoyed the whole process — the readings, auditions, workshops. I saw the growth of the character. I developed a bond with everybody on set, and learnt how to play along with and adapt to different actors. Every actor’s technique is different. I think this process was a lot of fun.

Where would you like to see your career go?

I have shot for two more web series after this. I think they'll have a 2024 release. My plan is also to have longevity. It's not a 100-metre dash. I want to run that marathon and hopefully bag a really big banner film. My dream is to take my mom to my movie premiere and be like, your son’s there now. I hope that it happens soon.