For the actor, the recognition comes after a 32-year run in the industry. While her filmography today boasts movies from mainstream and independent cinema, Tandon admits that at the time, it wasn’t easy to shed her glamorous image and bag author-backed roles in Shool (1999), Daman (2001), and Satta (2003). “It was a conscious decision to step into arthouse cinema while doing commercial films with song-and-dance. [At the time], I felt stagnated and wondered how long I could keep doing these glamorous roles wearing stylish outfits. I had to push the boundaries of acting. Initially, it was tough to go beyond my glamorous image. I had to convince directors to cast me. When I wanted to do Shool, director E Niwas wanted to cast me, but producer Ram Gopal Varma wasn’t convinced. He told me, ‘I can only picture you dancing to Ankhiyon se goli maare.’ [Eventually], when I was doing a poster shoot for Shool, Ramu walked past me. [I had transformed for the role] and he couldn’t recognise me.”

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The actor led social dramas like Daman

Movies aside, Tandon has become the first delegate from the entertainment industry to participate in W20 India, the arm of G20 that focuses on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. Representing 675 million Indian women is an honour, says the National Award-winning actor. “Having this summit is a fantastic opportunity to empower women and provide them with more rights for their social and economic participation. We want to bring to the fore the achievements of women delegates, and the issues that have been plaguing them in professional and social sectors.”

Also Read: Raveena Tandon shares glimpses of daughter Rasha's graduation ceremony