Taapsee Pannu put out a tweet recently condoling the death of veteran sharpshooter Chandro Tomar, fondly known as one half of the Shooter Dadi duo on April 30. The 89-year-old passed away in a hospital in Meerut following Coronavirus related complications. She was hospitalised after she complained of difficulty in breathing a few days ago. In 2019, Chandro and Prakashi Tomar were seen promoting their biopic, Saand Ki Aankh, starring Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu, directed by Tushar Hiranandani. Taapsee played Prakashi while Bhumi played Chandro Dadi. Both Bhumi and Taapsee took to their social media handles to express their grief and condole the family over their loss.

Taapsee says, “Bhumi and I met them at the film studio’s office, a few months before we started shooting and probably a few days before the film was officially announced. We were at the entrance of the office, waiting for them (Chandro and Prakashi Tomar). They were stars for us. From whatever we knew and had learned about them, we had already placed them on a pedestal in our minds. We were like two fangirls ready to meet them.”

She recalls, “That entire day was spent taking pictures and just talking to them, understanding what they did, how and why. We were curious to know how they felt about their struggle in the current times. I can’t believe Chandro Dadi is no more. The last time I met her was at a hospital in Delhi before the pandemic hit us. She was admitted because she had some issues with her lungs. She had difficulty in breathing. She was really unwell but she came back, she fought her way through it all. I spent hours with her and it was overwhelming that even in that condition, she had reacted to my presence. I stayed in touch with her granddaughter Shefali and made it a point to get health updates about her. Shefali had informed me about Dadi’s COVID diagnosis. We all thought she will fight back this time, too. She was responding well to medicines but her health suddenly went downhill. I actually for some reason thought she can never give up and she will come back, this time as well. I can’t fathom that she is no more; she is someone who never gave up.”

Recalling the time that she spent in Bagpat at the Shooter Dadis’ home, Taapsee says, “We stayed with them in their house and in their rooms throughout the schedule. I guess Dadi loved me and so those two months will always be special because I ate and joked with her, she would narrate so many anecdotes about their lives to me post pack-up. They became like an extended family for me. I could live with her in the house for two months. Today, it makes me feel like I lost someone from my extended family.”