Early work and debut (1991–1998) at
PETA Anniversary Razdan debuted in Hindi films in a supporting role with the 1981 film
36 Chowringhee Lane starring
Jennifer Kendal. It also marked the directorial debut of
Aparna Sen, who had until then been known as a leading actress of
Bengali cinema. Razdan garnered mainstream attention for her appearance in the film.
36 Chowringhee Lane was also entered in the first edition of the
Manila International Film Festival, where it won the top prize. Scholar Wimal Dissanayake sees the film as a portrayal of the patriarchal social system: "The film portrays the plight of a lonely woman in a society that cares little for questions of female subjectivity and self-fulfillment. In popular culture the title of the film has become symbolic of the city of
Kolkata, particularly its cuisine. A
Bangalore restaurant is called 36 Chowringhee Lane. A fast-food chain in Delhi is called 34 Chowringhee Lane. Then she also appeared in
Ahista Ahista directed by
Esmayeel Shroff. It is a remake of the
Kannada film
Gejje Pooje. In 1983, she appeared in film called
Mandi directed by
Shyam Benegal. Based on a classic Urdu short story Aanandi by writer
Ghulam Abbas, the film narrates the story of a brothel, situated in the heart of a city, an area that some politicians want for its prime locality. The film is a satirical comedy on politics and prostitution. Her major breakthrough came in 1984 film
Saaransh. It is about an elderly Maharashtrian couple living in Mumbai who come to terms with the loss of their only son. It was directed by her now husband
Mahesh Bhatt. It was also chosen as India's
official entry for the 1985
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film but it was not nominated. Her performance in the film was critically appreciated by the audience for which she earned a nomination for the
Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress and
Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1985, Razdan had two release in the year which was the
Historical drama Trikal (alongside
Leela Naidu,
Naseeruddin Shah and
Neena Gupta) and the
Thriller Khamosh (alongside
Shabana Azmi and again with
Naseeruddin Shah), both of which were critically and commercially successful. In 1986, Razdan starred in an
English-language Indian film named
On Wings of Fire. From 1990-1993, Razdan appeared in 6 films. Including —
Daddy,
Sadak,
Saathi,
Sir,
Gumrah, and
Gunaah. Mostly she appeared as a supporting roles. In 1998, Razdan appeared as a lead in the Canadian film named
Such a Long Journey, co-starring
Roshan Seth and directed by
Sturla Gunnarsson. The story, based on the
novel of the same name written by
Rohinton Mistry. The film was screened at the
Toronto International Film Festival.
Career slump and hiatus (2001–2019) In 2001, she appeared in the comedy film,
Monsoon Wedding.
Monsoon Wedding premiered in the
Marché du Film section of the
2001 Cannes Film Festival and went on to win the
Golden Lion at the
Venice International Film Festival and receive a
Golden Globe Award nomination while grossing over $30 million internationally at the box office. A musical based on the film premiered on Broadway in April 2014. In 2017,
IndieWire named it the 19th best romance of the 21st century. Between 2004-2013, she appeared in many films including,
Dobara,
Page 3,
Jaan-E-Mann,
Dil Dosti Etc,
Patiala House, Razdan directed a film called
Love Affair that was expected to be released in 2016, but did not. She acted in
Meghna Gulzar's
Raazi which also starred her daughter
Alia in the lead role. This was the first time when she shared the screen with
Alia where she played the character of Alia's mother. Soni played the lead role in the film
Yours Truly where she portrayed the character of a lonely middle-aged government employee Mithi Kumar. Reviewer from
The Quint writes,
Sanjoy Nag uses silence as a tool to help us understand Mithi better, and Razdan embraces that silence. She is brave yet afraid, stoic yet vulnerable, lonely yet hopeful. In 2019, she appeared in
Noblemen,
No Fathers in Kashmir and
War. ==Personal life==