9 of Taapsee Pannu’s strongest on-screen performances so far

When it comes to delivering powerhouse performances, Taapsee Pannu never fails to deliver. Ever since her onscreen debut, the actor has repeatedly chosen roles that are challenging and largely unconventional. From playing the role of a seductress who would go to any lengths to get the man of her dreams to a murder suspect with a dubious alibi, Pannu’s filmography is rich and varied, and spans multiple languages. The actor has done her share of mainstream cinema, but also critically-acclaimed roles that make the most of her effortless acting chops. Here’s looking at some of her most memorable ones in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu cinema, over the years. 

It all started for the actor when she made her onscreen debut with this Telugu drama. While the story was your standard boy-meets-girl-and-fall-in-love-despite-all-odds, Pannu’s charming and effervescent screen presence was noted. Watch it if you’re looking for a classic romance drama and nostalgia.

Streaming on MX Player

It was this 2011 National Award-winning Tamil film starring Pannu and Dhanush in the lead that made people sit up and take notice of her considerable acting chops. The actor made her debut in the Tamil film industry with this movie where she played the role of an Anglo-Indian girl who falls in love with a man involved in Madurai’s underground cockfights. Critics took note of her screen presence and effortless performance in this gritty, grey drama.

Streaming on MX Player

Despite starring as a supporting actor, this role got Pannu her first recognition on the award circuit. The story follows a newly-wed couple as they attempt to survive while facing a devastating flood. Pannu’s role in the film, though negative, was appreciated for its unconventionality and her performance was noted.

Streaming on YouTube

While Taapsee officially debuted in Bollywood with David Dhawan's Chashme Baddoor (2013), it was her performance in this 2016 courtroom drama, where she starred opposite Amitabh Bachchan, that made people sit up and take note of her impressive talent as an actor. In the movie, she plays Meenal, one of the three women who try to file a case against a powerful politician’s son. What was supposed to be a fun evening out with friends turned into a nightmare when the politician’s son tried to assault Meenal and she had to defend herself by hitting him on the head with a glass bottle. Pannu’s effortless performance, and her ability to stand out against a powerhouse performer like Bachchan, got her noticed by top critics and helped her rise in popularity.

Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar

Thappad was not the first time Pannu successfully collaborated with Anubhav Sinha on a critical success. Mulk addressed Islamophobia in India through a tightly-paced courtroom drama, where the actor plays the role of a Hindu lawyer defending her Muslim father-in-law (Rishi Kapoor) against accusations of having ties with a terrorist group. It quickly becomes clear to them that, despite being clearly innocent, they’re up against a system that is steeped in communal hatred. Pannu’s turn as the fierce and fearless lawyer complemented Kapoor’s restrained performance and made Mulk a rousing study in divisive communal politics.

Streaming on Zee5

When Anurag Kashyap tried his hands at romance, he really couldn’t have found a better female lead than Taapsee Pannu. The actor perfectly portrayed the role of an atypical heroine who was unapologetic in her fierceness and refusal to take things lying down. The story follows three people caught up in a messy love triangle set against the backdrop of Amritsar and propped up with a memorable soundtrack.

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

The star once again proved her versatility as a performer in this psychological thriller. She plays Swapna, a stay-at-home video game designer who suffers from PTSD. Her carefully-guarded life turns upside down when a serial killer enters her house and forces her to play the ultimate game of survival. 

Streaming on Netflix

The actor teamed up with Amitabh Bachchan again for this murder mystery, with the older actor coincidentally playing her lawyer in this one too. In this official remake of Oriol Paulo’s Spanish film The Invisible Guests, Pannu plays the role of a highly successful businesswoman who is the prime suspect in the murder of Tony, her lover. It’s her chemistry with Bachchan as they try to piece together the events of that fateful evening that continues to keep you hooked to this engaging mystery.

Streaming on Netflix

Taapsee cemented her position as one of Bollywood’s most solid and bankable performers with this Anubhav Sinha film. In the movie, she essays the role of a young housewife, married into an upper-middle-class family. Her days pass by in serene monotony until one fateful evening where her husband takes his frustrations of not landing a job promotion on her by slapping her in the middle of a house party, in front of their guests. The slap jolts her awake to all the micro-aggressions she had been letting pass by and leads her on a path towards emancipation. The movie was lauded across the board, with critics claiming that this was Pannu’s most potent and powerful performance in her career.

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video

Also read:

Taapsee Pannu on playing strong female leads, being an outsider, and the ride to the top

16 pictures and videos that take you inside Taapsee Pannu's European-style home

How Bollywood’s ‘movies with a message’ are helping start difficult conversations