Raveena Tandon opens up about rejecting roles due to kissing scenes and over the top costumes: ‘It was with a very very big star, I regret, but…’ | Hindi Movie News

Raveena Tandonwho has been vocal about the challenges faced by female stars in the 1990s, recently shared insights into her career choices and experiences in the film industry during an interview with Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story.
She spoke about turning down movies in the past due to concerns about how her character would be portrayed. In particular, she recalled rejecting a role that required her to look like a ‘Playboy Bunny,’ a decision based on her refusal to participate in roles that she found objectifying.
“I didn’t do kissing scenesbut I also didn’t do movies if the costumes I was not comfortable with. I left big movies with big stars if I wasn’t comfortable with the costumes. There was a film that I had with a very, very big star, that I regret, because I really wanted to work with him, he was my favourite. But unfortunately, it had those pom-poms right here, like a Playboy Bunny, which to me was objectifying women,” she revealed.
During the interview, Raveena also recounted an incident where she walked out of a project because a director disrespected her intelligence. She described a scene where her character’s child was supposed to be in a coma but questioned the logic of the child suddenly crying out for his mother. When she raised this concern with the director, he became defensive, leading to her decision to exit the project.

“He told me, ‘You don’t teach me how to direct’. I said, ‘Sir, but it’s a scientific fact, we can’t go wrong, people will laugh at us’. Because my neck is on the line as well. Ultimately, actors bear the brunt of the criticism. But there’s a limit to what you can suggest as an actor. The director walked off the set, and I said, ‘Okay fine, then I’m not doing the film’,” Raveena recalled.

Reflecting on her career choices, Raveena stated that she has no regrets about the roles or songs she has done in the past, as she always prioritized her comfort and principles. She mentioned rejecting films not just based on costumes but also on themes and scenes that didn’t align with her beliefs, including avoiding kissing scenes and leaving projects with big stars if she was uncomfortable with the portrayal of women or the costumes.
“I very proudly stand by everything that I’ve done, because things that made me uncomfortable, I definitely did not do. Most of the time, I have stayed away from doing things that I principally didn’t agree with,” Raveena said.