‘Heroine comedy segments have shrunk’: Raveena Tandon on missing out on ’90s comedy era, praises Sridevi’s comic timing and goofiness
Actress Raveena Tandon shared her views on how female characters are portrayed in Bollywood comedies today. Looking at her own journey in the genre, she said that women no longer receive the kind of comedic roles that were common in Indian cinema earlier.The actress believes there is a noticeable shift in how female characters are written. According to her, today’s actresses deserve more opportunities to showcase their comedic talents through sophisticated roles.
He praises Raveena Tandon Sridevi Comedic brilliance
During an interaction with PTI, Raveena spoke about the actresses who influenced her and set high standards for comedy performances. She singled out Sridevi and described her as one of the greatest examples of a heroine who excels in comedic roles while maintaining her presence on the screen.
She said: “What she did in Mr. India, the whole Hawa Hawaii sequence, and the acting of Charlie Chaplin and Chal Baz, was sheer genius. She proved that a gorgeous, brilliant heroine could contort her face, be completely goofy, do slapstick, and still look absolutely charming.”
Apart from Sridevi, Raveena also praised Juhi Chawla for her comic timing, and fondly remembered legendary actresses Geeta Bali and Madhubala, crediting them for bringing wit, charm and spontaneity to comedy films.
Sharing her observations on filmmaking nowadays, Raveena said that comedies have evolved into bigger and more organized productions. As a result, she feels that female-centric comedic moments are becoming progressively less prominent. “The space has changed, and frankly, we’ve lost some of that organic playground that we had in the ’90s,” she explained. “Today, comedies are very structured and very plot-driven, or they’re huge ensembles.”
In the process, the heroine’s comedic paths are diminished. According to the actress, the changing narrative style has reduced the scope for women to drive the humor independently, unlike many films from previous decades.
Raveena Tandon calls for better writing of female characters
The Welcome to the Jungle actress also said that actresses today are fully capable of giving memorable comedic performances if they are given stronger material. She believes the problem lies in the way many female characters are written and not in the performers themselves. “Today’s girls are incredibly sharp and polished, and they have great timing, but scripts often limit them to being charming motivational characters rather than full-fledged comedic dynamics,” she said.
We need writers who intentionally create heroines who are flawed, messy, and downright funny without worrying about making them seem perfect or politically correct all the time.
