The highs and lows of Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu's career

2 days ago

In an exclusive interview, the top star talks about climbing the ladder on her terms.

Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3JC5OuM

See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km

Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV

#Bollywood #TaapseePannu #India

Transcript

00:00I'm doing so many films, if they are not able to get enough space in media then I should just pack my bags and go home.

00:07If I have to buy space to make the presence of my films felt, that means your films are not doing the talking enough.

00:14That means that you need to really rethink of what kind of films you are doing.

00:20Ideally in our world, the first question you are asked after knowing which film are you doing is who's the hero?

00:26So, they wanted to know who the hero is. As I said because the budget is allocated based on your hero.

00:33So, that's where those questions came.

00:36But also having said that, it's nice that first the actress is cast and then the male actor because

00:43I'm not denying Vikrant Massey's talent, he's brilliant but I'm just saying it's amazing for the first time,

00:49like the women are cast first because for years it's been hero, who is the

00:56See, it's like who gets in the money?

01:01As I said the sad rule of the game is who gets in the money and then who is the fulcrum of the film?

01:08So, in most of my films, I don't remember I think maybe only one or two of films of mine in last 3-4 years are such where I'm cast later.

01:18So, because most of the films end up being around my character.

01:21So, they want to cast the female first to just know accordingly we will cast the other actors

01:28because if she is the protagonist of the film for us, we will cast other actors, bases who is playing that protagonist.

01:35So, that's why most of my, in my case I have been casted first and then you know actors have been approached.

01:43Why do you think that you know that filmmakers come to you with strong subjects?

01:47Have you ever thought of it, you don't make a lot of noise, you just let your movies do the talking.

01:52You have never been the type to go around, I don't see you doing that in parties and elsewhere

01:57but your movies make an impact. How do you keep that, how do you ensure that?

02:02Like it's not easy right in Bollywood where it's all about hobnobbing, being seen with the right people, you don't do that.

02:08I have been seen with the right people, I have struggled with that since the beginning when I had certain people in the beginning of my career.

02:14I was very vulnerable at that point telling me that you know you should do this, you should do that.

02:19Someone who came from a background where I never wanted to become an actor or a star.

02:23I just took every day as and when it came.

02:27I did not understand this way of stardom of being seen with the right people.

02:32So, I kind of struggled to wrap my head around that how is it, how will my self-respect allow me to you know do that

02:39where I have to force myself into a group where probably I am not welcomed enough

02:43or they don't even know me.

02:45So, at that time also I remember I refused to attend events after you know my debut.

02:49I just stopped going to any events also because I started feeling like I'm not welcomed enough.

02:54They're looking at me like someone who's like forcing her presence there.

02:58Even though I had done considerable amount of work in South which at that time was not recognized in Hindi.

03:04Today you can see the South stars are loved and respected here.

03:0710 years back when I started I was seen as a rank newcomer

03:11and they did not even like blink an eyelid about my any of my South films.

03:19My first film in Tamil had won six national awards.

03:22I was launched by Raghavendra Rao who launched Sridevi and Jasba and all these big female actors.

03:29So, my second film was Prabhas who's supposed to be the big pan India star right now.

03:35So, you know after doing all that I had to start from scratch.

03:38At that time I was seen as a rank newcomer, struggler who's trying to make her way through.

03:42So, I thought okay let them know my work profile a little bit in few years in Hindi

03:47and then I'll be probably loved and respected enough and given enough space

03:51which I was eventually after Pink and all came out.

03:54And then post that I am slightly lazy that way in my personal life.

04:00Little laid back where I have my bunch of people who I am extremely comfortable with

04:08and I have a problem now opening up to newer bunch because I feel like I don't know

04:13they want to be like they're okay to have me in because of the public persona that I have

04:21or because the person I am. So, it becomes very difficult to gauge that

04:26and I don't want to be in that detective mode of trying to find out are they like,

04:32do they like me as a person and that's why they're letting me in

04:35or they just feel that I am a saleable persona right now so they are letting me in.

04:40So, I don't want to be in that stressed mindset as to I don't know like this or like that.

04:45So, I have this huge bunch of people and my social circle is pretty big courtesy people

04:52outside the film industry that I hang out with.

04:54I have never understood people like every time I did any kind of debut made in South,

04:59made in Hindi, any of my biggies in Hindi they're like why not doing enough PR around it

05:03but I am doing. I have a PR agency. I am doing whatever regular PR agency does

05:09but I can't force make news that is not true or I can't like just like buy spaces for myself

05:17to make sound. I mean I am doing so many films if they are not able to get enough space in media

05:24then I should just pack my bags and go home. If I have to buy space to make the presence of

05:30my films felt that means your films are not doing the talking enough. That means that you

05:35need to really re-think of what kind of films you are doing. So, that is why I don't really

05:41make that forced sound of my work and I think the kind of films I do eventually I am making

05:48a very stable base of audience who you know probably now realise that I deserve their

05:56trust where the films are concerned. It might be that tortoise and hare race that might be

06:04happening. I don't mind being that tortoise. I always knew I will have to be that tortoise

06:10because in this industry when you shoot up too fast you fall down too fast. So, I am okay

06:17yeah that I am really scared of that fall, sudden fall. So, I am okay with this one separate

06:23time rise which is serving me totally fine.

The highs and lows of Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu's career

Category

Transcript

Recommended