Taapsee Pannu: I did my first film to experience something new, not to start a career

Actor Taapsee Pannu, who has worked in almost three dozen films in three languages in just eight years, reveals that she didn’t even want to be an actor, initially, when she signed her first film.

“I didn’t even plan Bollywood! I did my first film just to experience something new, and not start a career!” says Taapsee. “I was filming Jhummandi Naadam (2010, Telugu), my debut film, and Aadukalam (2011, Tamil) at the same time. After both released, and when I saw the audience reaction to the first one, which I felt I was really bad in, I thought that if it can turn out like this even without really aiming or planning for it, what if I work on it like a proper career? That’s where it started,” she says Taapsee.

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While established in the south Indian film industries, she got noticed in Bollywood only in 2015, as an undercover agent in the Akshay Kumar-starrer Baby. Then, 2016 saw her in Pink, and Taapsee was instantly a big Bollywood star — and also an acclaimed actor. She’ll be seen next in Manmarziyan with Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal.

Taapsee’s biggest commercial hit till date is the multi-starrer Judwaa 2, in which she was seen with Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez. Her films Chashme Baddoor (2013) and Pink also had ensemble casts, as did the 2017 film Ghazi Attack — in the last one, Taapsee had co-stars who were all her industry seniors and big names in their own space. Does she ever feel apprehensive about being lost in a group? Taapsee says, “Working in a hugely, commercially successful film benefits everyone. I got a 10-minute role in Baby, but it landed me a title role [in Naam Shabana, 2017], which a lot of actresses don’t get even after working for decades. What matters is how good you are in the screen space you get.”

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She adds that “playing safe” isn’t an option for her anymore. “Agar humein safe play karna hota, toh yahaan pe nahi aate (If I had to play safe, I wouldn’t be in this career!” says the actor, who went to college to study computer engineering. “We have to jump into the competition, and prove ourselves every moment.”

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