Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; February 7, 2018)

After making her debut in South films eight years ago, Taapsee Pannu is completely focussed on making her mark in Bollywood. The actress has been dabbling in a variety of roles, in films like Pink (2016), Judwaa 2 (2017) and the upcoming Dil Juunglee. What’s giving her enthusiasm more wings is seeing the audiences opening up to heroine-centric films. The actress, in a candid chat with BT, admits, “My films could be mindless entertainers or subjects, which require introspection, but I want the audience to feel assured that if I have done something, then it’s worth their time and money.” Excerpts…

While the romcom Dil Juunglee will hit screens next week, you also have a sports biopic with Soorma, a patriotic film in Mulq and the romantic drama, Manmarziyaan, releasing this year. Was it a case of chance or choice?
Once an actor is seen in a particular avatar, the tendency in the industry is to see them only in those kind of roles. It’s convenient and perhaps, done to avoid experimentation. Luckily in my case, the audience accepted me in a hard-hitting film like Pink (2016) as well as a commercial entertainer like Judwaa 2 (2017).

In the past four years that you have been in the Hindi film industry, what are the changes that you find significant?
The audience has become intelligent and they don’t discard commercial films like Golmaal Again and Judwaa 2, neither do they reject a Newton or a Hindi Medium, calling them art films. As an actress, it’s refreshing to see that the audience has opened up to movies with a female protagonist. People are realizing that a girl can be the hero of a film. Now, they don’t necessarily ask, ‘Hero kaun hai?’ Even a big star like Akshay Kumar is concentrating on subjects that have not been tapped earlier. Also, if the industry doesn’t step up to give actors the opportunity to dabble in varied content, they will fall back on online platforms. Besides, actors have become far more fearless with their choice of roles.

You have been part of a film like Pink, which is about women standing up for themselves. On the other hand, a lot of commercial Hindi films have been criticised to be sexist and misogynist. Some critics had also pointed out that Judwaa 2 is a tad sexist...
Why would I want to read reviews for a film like Judwaa 2? It was not made to garner critical acclaim. And I don’t need to prove my acting capabilities with it, as I have already done that before. I only looked at how much the film made at the box office. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. There is a difference between showcasing regressive actions and celebrating them. If an actor is shown indulging in a regressive act, we are not encouraging it saying, ‘waah waah kya kaam kiya hai.’ We are not portraying it as something heroic or idealistic. Nor is the character entirely black or white. So, it’s up to the audience to decipher what’s right and wrong. It depends on the perception entirely. Also, we have started scrutinising each and every film overtly. Baal ki khaal nikalne ka kaam ho raha hai. Every film has a villain who does the nastiest of things, but we don’t mind that because he is not as big a name as Varun Dhawan.

That might be true, but as an artiste, don’t you think films can influence the audience?
The one thing that I want the audience to feel when they come to watch my films is that it’s worth the Rs 200 they have spent on it. That’s the only kind of taste I want them to cultivate. My films could be mindless entertainers or subjects which require introspection, but I want the audience to feel assured that if I have done something, then it’s worth their time and money.

In Hollywood, actresses have admitted to being survivors of sexual assault. It is believed that such predators are there everywhere. Do you think our actresses will address this issue as vociferously as they did in the West?
First of all, our culture is different from theirs. Many of the actresses out here are not from the film industry, and they might hesitate to address such issues because of their families. If they speak up about sexual harassment here, it might lead to a situation where it’s them versus the movie mafia. Many a time, if they do speak up, it might also be considered a publicity stunt. Girls are judged more harshly than boys. I also feel that many girls have misused their power, so the others may fear that they might be accused of playing the victim card to gain sympathy. But if they don't speak up, then it perpetrates matters even further. We are in a weird situation. The one way to tackle it is to perhaps, be smart and deal with it in your own way.

Given that you have a string of releases this year, are you nervous about their fate at the box office?
Though it’s been four years that I have been a part of the Hindi film industry, I have been an actor for close to eight years, having started my career in the South. I have seen way too many hits and flops. So, I am getting better at handling these things. I don’t think any actor can say, ‘Mujhe toh farak hi nahi padta’. The actor is lying because something is wrong agar farak nahi padta. I have many releases this year and I am hoping kuch toh chal jayega.

While your professional life is on a high, will you be tying the knot anytime soon?
I am not getting married anytime soon. When I do decide to get married, I want it to be away from the glare of the media. I like keeping my professional and personal lives separate; that’s one of the reasons I didn’t pursue a relationship with anyone from the film industry.