(L-R) Aniruddha Roy Choudhury, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Sanjana Sanghi, Pankaj Tripathi, Mahesh Ramanathan, Viraf Sarkari, Jaya Ahsan and Shyam Sunder Photo: htbs

As the legal process comes to a close in the infamous Jessica Lall murder case with Manu Sharma being released from prison after spending 17 years behind bars, Raj Kumar Gupta, who made No One Killed Jessica, reflects on the strength of Sabrina Lall, Jessica’s sister, and the typical ‘Delhi’ power mindset that drives incidents such as this
Anshul Chaturvedi (BOMBAY TIMES; June 4, 2020)

What do you recall of the events that led you to make No One Killed Jessica? In an earlier interview you had said that NOKJ ‘was a story born out of tragedy’ and that ‘I spent 20-25 days with Sabrina. I used to sit with her for two-three hours every day. It was not easy and you get overwhelmed’.
I had finished my first film, Aamir, and I was looking for my next film. We were all aware that this (the Jessica Lall murder case) could be a good subject to explore. Emotions were running high, there was tragedy, injustice and the media had done a good job of bringing that incident to the forefront.

The first step was to meet Sabrina, tell her that we wanted to make a film on it and see what she thought about the idea. That’s how it all started. After that there were two parts. The first was sitting with Sabrina and getting her thoughts and experiences, whatever she had been through. The second part was reading – there was so much to be read, so many versions, reports and stories. For 20-25 days, I spent a couple of hours daily with Sabrina. I used to go and meet her and go through the timeline and what she had gone through. It was so emotional, overwhelming... it affected me. It was quite a long process. By the end of it, I was emotionally overwhelmed.

As far as Sabrina was concerned, I found her very open. Of course, she was very emotional. She was also very strong. There was a certain angst as well about what had happened, fairly so. She had lost her sister, she had lost her parents. But I found her very strong, very emotionally balanced. She had specifically told me that she was not ready to forgive the person who had killed her sister, but then in 2018, when she was asked about Manu being pardoned early, she was okay with it. That again shows how strong her character is – she is somebody who is ready to let go. It made me remember a quote by Mahatma Gandhi, that ‘The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.’

So when you researched the story, you would have spoken to the nightlife sector, the bureaucracy, the police, lawyers, the system and so and so forth. What was the sense you got in the city’s vibes – how ‘typically Delhi’ was the incident?
In No One Killed Jessica, the monologue that comes when the film begins, it is the voice of the journalist (played by Rani Mukerji) who is talking about Delhi. She says that she has never understood Delhi. It is a city where people are ready to show power, ‘You don’t know who I am’. I tried to address that because I have lived in Delhi. I studied in Delhi and spent three-four years in the city, graduating from Ramjas College. So that side of Delhi is something which I had seen. The wrong side of masculinity. It really, really disturbed me.

Do you think Delhi has changed at all in ten years? Stories of people pulling out a gun at the smallest of provocations continue to be part of what Delhi — NCR, actually — is.
I would like to believe it has. But whenever I visit Delhi, I do not see it. Delhi is a city with a lot of power, more power than it can handle. I think that is something that really corrupts people. It has too much power to be impartial or to be fair. So I don’t know if it is as bad it as it was, but I think that not much has changed. That kind of power wakes up the monster, the evil.

What is your take on Manu — not in terms of your movie’s character, but as someone who read the news, and followed what was actually happening?
From whatever I read or saw, it was a very typical representation of what power does. It was very typical of how these characters behave, you know, when they are drunk in a bar or when they think they can get away with it. It was a very typical kind of a character.

NOKJ is among many realistic films where a Delhi-based female character has to bear the brunt of what happens – Talvar, Chhapaak, Pink, even Thappad. As a filmmaker, does this make you feel optimistic that these topics are now discussed in the public domain, or disturbed at how NCR is such a fertile territory for such topics and stories? Do such movies make a difference to how we conduct ourselves?
As a filmmaker, you have to hope that these kinds of films might have an impact on the people who are victims and on the culprits as well. You would want to believe that, we don’t make cinema in a vacuum. Yes, we keep making such films but these incidents still happen. But that should not stop us from telling those stories. It takes a lot to tell a No One Killed Jessica, or Talvar, or Chhapaak, or Thappad. I don’t think we should stop reflecting or telling stories that put a mirror to ourselves and to the society.
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DIDN’T MEET MANU TO PREP FOR NO ONE KILLED JESSICA: ZEESHAN

Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; June 4, 2020)

Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub made his film debut with No One Killed Jessica, in which he played a character based on Manu Sharma. He says he never met Manu to prepare for the role. “Raj Kumar Gupta had told me that he didn’t want me to meet the real convict, so I didn’t really prepare for the role and just acted raw. I just had two scenes in the film and a few shots. I focussed on two things for the role – the character didn’t speak English properly, and he had a Haryanvi tone. But after the movie, I never looked back or followed the case. Honestly, I never followed this case, neither before doing the film nor after.”

Vijay Varma raves about his Baaghi 3 co-star’s ninja-like disposition and reveals why he did Pink
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 29, 2020)

Hyderabad boy and FTII alumnus, Vijay Varma, entered films in 2012 with Bedabrata Pain’s Chittagong. Four years later, he was noticed as a well-connected brat in Shoojit Sircar’s Pink. With last year’s Gully Boy, in which he played friend-cum-benefactor to Ranveer Singh’s fledgling rapper Murad, the actor has hit his stride.

This year, he will be seen in the Tiger Shroff-fronted Baaghi 3. By Vijay’s estimate, it hasn’t been an easy ride. “Some of my films didn’t get a release and the ones that did, failed to work. How to survive that… they don’t teach you in school. It was a learning that required a lot of patience,” he sighs.

Describing his character in Baaghi 3 as “ambiguous, colourful, deceitful and funny”. “Akhtar Lahori helps Tiger’s Ronnie reunite with his brother (played by Riteish Deshmukh), but the role is written in a way that will make the audience wonder whose side he is on,” Vijay winks, going on to heap praises on his co-star’s almost ninja-like disposition. “While shooting in icy Serbia, we would be shivering even under multiple layers of clothes. But Tiger, like a Shaolin Master, was shirtless and doing stunts, not even seeking the warmth of heaters and blankets. We spoke at length about Jackie Shroff, the OG Gully Boy,” he gushes.

Vijay goes on to share that one of the biggest lessons he learnt on the job was that it pays to work with big names. “They can take care of you. I did Pink primarily for that reason, and it was the best decision I’ve taken”, he asserts.

Next up, the 33-year-old actor will be seen in the Nushrat Bharucha and Sunny Kaushal-starrer Hurdang. “It’s a passionate love story against the backdrop of the Mandal Commission and set in the Uttar Pradesh hinterland. I play Loha Singh, a pretty extreme and nuanced part,” he shares.

Ahead of Thappad rolling, Taapsee Pannu makes a case for the importance of fronting stories told from the female gaze
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 21, 2019)

With Mission Mangal behind her, Taapsee Pannu is now readying for the shoot of the tentatively titled Thappad, which has her reuniting with director Anubhav Sinha after Mulk (2018). It is easy to gauge that the duo — known to unflinchingly take on hard-hitting subjects, in their individual capacities — will bring another relevant subject to the fore.

"I play a married woman and the movie will showcase several woes that she goes through. It's not a troubled marriage per se; the film instead offers a woman's point of view in a marriage," informs Pannu, happy that filmmakers are increasingly looking at subjects through a woman's gaze. "People are ready for new content. So, I hope that we are willing to give woman's perspective a chance. If you talk numbers, the ratio of men walking into a theatre versus women is lopsided, which affects collections. If women start claiming better stories, there's hope."

The actor is aware that the audience response is heavily skewed towards films with a male gaze — a prime example being the recent release, Kabir Singh. "Manmarziyaan (2018) was also a love story of a flawed lover but told from a woman's perspective. In this society, we are conditioned to buy into a man's woes more easily. Kabir Singh has pushed back whatever good work we had done since Pink (2016) till now. But the success doesn't surprise me. Manmarziyaan wasn't accepted because it was a woman's story. Does that deter me? Not at all."

Mission Mangal actor Kirti Kulhari talks about how she missed out on work in the industry due to her low profile
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 15, 2019)

It can't be denied that she has chosen her films wisely — be it the courtroom drama Pink (2016) or Uri: The Surgical Strike. Yet, Kirti Kulhari candidly admits that she hasn't come as far in Bollywood as she would have liked to.

With her biggest release, Mission Mangal, opening today, the actor reflects, "I have been bad in PR [public relations], and in my case, it has affected my work. It is all about projection and PR imagery. But I cannot give out stories just for the sake of it. I got noticed in Shaitan (2011), and I am sure I could have followed it up with some good work with the support of the PR machinery, but I am not the kind who wants to tom-tom about the success. I didn't do it after Pink either, but people took me seriously as an actor after that."

Glad to team up with four women artistes, Kulhari says Mission Mangal is a step in the right direction. "The film shows how regular women were the heroes behind one of the most successful space projects of our country. Films primarily have been male-centric, but things are changing now."

The actress, who plays a Brit cop in the thriller that kicked off in London on Sunday, is excited to be a part of another woman-centric film
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 6, 2019)

On Sunday, Parineeti Chopra kicked off Ribhu Dasgupta’s official Hindi remake of the 2016 American film, The Girl On The Train, in London with Kirti Kulhari joining the cast as Aaliya Shergill, a British cop. Having done a show with Ribhu for Shah Rukh Khan, Kirti was aware that he had been working on the adaptation since the last year-and-a-half.

One day, the actress got a call from him to offer her the role. “It’s an interesting character with a unique look, something that I don’t think anyone has sported in Bollywood before,” says Kirti whose prep includes getting trained in kickboxing. “The training will give me the body language of a cop. We had toyed with the idea of a British accent but then Ribhu thought it would divert the focus from my performance. Instead I’m watching documentaries and murder mysteries to understand the job profile and working style of an investigative officer in the UK.”

While she knows Aditi Rao Hydari, who also features in the film, socially, she has never met Parineeti but is looking forward to work with both. “I leave for London on August 15 and start shooting the following day. Since my film Mission Mangal releases on Independence Day, the joke is that I am not going to Mars but to London,” laughs Kirti.

She enjoys being a part of ensemble films like Pink, Mission Mangal and now The Girl On The Train. “I love the fact that so many woman-driven stories are being made and I am happy to be a part of them. In Hollywood big stars come together to make a great film. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case in Bollywood. But now, people are opening up to the idea and things are changing,” Kirti concludes.

Angad Bedi on staying true to his muse as he essays famed defence lawyer Karl Khandalavala in the web show, The Verdict, based on the 1959 Nanavati case
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 1, 2019)

It is my most emotionally draining role" begins Angad Bedi, who has dived deep into the part of lawyer Karl Jamshed Khandalavala for ALT Balaji's ambitious outing, The VerdictL State v/s Nanavati. If the case hit headlines for being modern India's first crime of passion, Khandalavala — as the defence counsel — shot to limelight for being the man who held Commander Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati's fate in his hands.

Describing the challenges he faced to essay his role in the 10-part web series, Bedi says, "To portray a real-life character is the toughest job. It is easy to play your age. But here, I play [an older] man who is sure of himself and has never lost a case in his life. To internalise Karl, I spent time studying his body language. I also read up on the laws prevalent in the 1950s."

Before the Manav Kaul and Elli AvrRam starrer went on floors, the actor and his styling team dedicated weeks to zeroing in on his look, modelling it on the ex-Air Force pilot. "We decided to stick to suits while playing with accessories. So, the rimless round spectacles were brought in, and a pocket watch was added to lend [an air of] arrogance."

Considering he has previously been part of the courtroom drama Pink (2016), the actor admits that he found himself turning to the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer for inspiration. "In Pink, I was in the dock and Bachchan sir was the one questioning. During the shoot, I would keenly observe Bachchan sir. So, I took inspiration from his [lawyer] act and channelised it for my Karl act. The biggest challenge, however, was to stand up to Makarand Deshpande [who plays prosecutor Chandu Trivedi], who has had years of theatre experience. We had to be neck-and-neck in the courtroom sequences."

Quintessential Bollywood outsider Taapsee Pannu breaks down her craft, speaks about her early life, entry into films and, of course, explains everything you want to know about her unusual name
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; June 22, 2019)

Your uniqueness in showbiz starts with your name itself. Do you know any other Taapsee Pannu in the world?
I know Tapsi.

Double-A, P, S, and double-E?
On all my legal documents, my dad actually kept my name as T-A-P-A-S-E-E.

That's what's in your passport?
Yes. By the time I was old enough to say, "Dad, please don't do this to me," it was too late. T-A-P-S-I, for him, in numerology, wasn't good enough. It needed to have two Es, and an extra A, for some weird reason. That's T-A-P-A-S-E-E (my name). In school, during roll call, the teacher would stop at roll number 47, and go, "Taa Taa…" Being used to it, I'd just say, "Taapsee Pannu, present ma'am!"
I was not fine with correcting every Indian out there. That it is Tapsi, not Tapa-see. For screen, I just shifted (my dad's) two As, to make it Taapsee!

Starting out, did no South producer ask you to make it closer to say Jaya Prada?
Thank God. I wasn't ready to change these basic things about myself, for anything, or anyone. And I really like my unique name, among thousands of Poojas and Nehas, who simultaneously turn around, when their names get called!

No knock on Poojas, Nehas, before they started trolling you on Twitter, okay?
I'm used to people going after me on Twitter, so it's fine! But even they would agree, I'm sure.

The other intriguing thing about you is you'd never acted, before hitting the screen — not in even in school/college.
Well, I was pretty dramatic in life, so really didn't need the drama before camera, or audience. I'm a professionally trained dancer. In that sense, performing on stage has been my first love; and I was into public speaking. And I thought why should I pretend to be someone else [with acting]? A teacher did once force me to act on stage, in lieu of allowing me to host the show. I have no memories of that first and last stage experience, other than the fact that I moved back to hosting.

After all that, from Delhi, you land up straight down South, to act; that too in a language you didn't know at all?
I'm an experimentally unpredictable person. Even I don't know what I'm going to do next. During college, my parents would say, "Khud kamaoge, toh pata chalega, paise ki value!" So I said, "Dekh lete hai kamake kaisa hota hai!" I started modelling. It was simple. I could manage with studies, which I never wanted to give up for anything. In third year, I'd already got placed at Infosys. But in my final year, when I took CAT, I had got an 88 percentile. I could work. Or join a B-School. But I knew I could do better [in CAT]. So I decided to take a [gap] year…

Basically IIMs or none?
Yeah, my way or the highway. During that year, being the hyperactive person I am — just sitting at home, studying, was driving me crazy. Modelling went out the window, because it was getting too boring. I had stopped it in my third year itself. And then I began getting calls for films from the South. They get a lot of girls from North, who don't speak the language. They were like, "We can teach, you'll be comfortable." They were more confident about my skills than I was. So I thought fine, let me give it a shot. I wanted to try something different. I went down there with my CAT books, which I couldn't even open, because I was so deeply into those dialogue sheets, in a language I had never heard in my life. I didn't think it was going to be so difficult.

Back in the day, many Bollywood actors said, "1 2 3 4," for dialogues in the South.
Even I've heard that. I can't. I can't take prompting either, because it distracts me. Also, I'm a science student, so not good with 'rattofying' lines. I began to learn them by heart, because of which I was one of the first actresses from the North who dubbed for herself in Telugu. I wasn't as consistent with Tamil. But I learnt both.

Have seen some of your Tamil interviews. You reply in English.
Yeah, Tamil is only incoming; no outgoing. But Telugu, it happens both ways!

[Speaking of languages], you graduated in computer engineering.
Yes, I loved the study part of it. Basically I was a proud front-bencher, whenever I was in class, answering questions, following up with what's happening. This was of course rare. Because I was always outside for some competition, modelling assignment or the other. I have been a jack of all trades, master of none.

Were you the only girl in class?
Imagine that being Taapsee, good for the guys! [Laughs]. No, there were 12 girls in a class of 60. Not that bad. Yeah, the ratio is quite off. But it's not the same Taapsee Pannu as you're looking at right now. I'm sure they [my classmates] do a double-take every day, when they look at what I'm doing now!



In that sense, you defy the right-brain [creative], left-brain [analytical skills] theory, where one is supposed to be only strong at either.
Something really crazy happened up here [laughs]. There is a weird kind of balance that has co-existed within me since I was a child. Even now I have a certain bent of mind, where I run certain businesses, and I have fair idea about marketing of films as well. At the same time, I choose films that aren't conventionally market-savvy.

As an actor, you're what they call a 'one-take artiste', where you psyche yourself into becoming a particular person, and it all comes out in an unrepeatable go. Must be scary for the director, right?
I will give a second take. But I warn directors that it probably won't be as good as the first. That is how it is. And that is actually a negative that comes from not being a trained actor. I don't know how to get that [moment] back again. Once I empty myself the first time on, it's very difficult to fill myself up with the same ingredients.

Would you be scared though if they didn't like your first take?
No, because then they'll tell me that I'm going in the wrong direction. And that is a totally new thing for me. The scary thing is if there's a technical glitch in a crucial shot that they don't want to get rid of. I've had directors say they're okay —even if slightly out of focus.

Does it then become harder for you to get in and out of that shot/character as well?
I laugh about the fact that I'm becoming a crazy person, with every film. I rid 90 per cent of a character from my system, and 10 per cent stays, changing something in me.

Give an instance?
I'll give you an example. During Manmarziyaan, my sister and I went out for dinner. We were standing at the pavement, waiting for the driver to get the car. There was a man at the red signal, slyly taking out his camera on a bike. It's not like he asked for a picture. I'm a public figure; not a public property, like Qutub Minar, or something. There's a clear difference.

And you whacked the shit out of him?
I, in Rumi-mode, went, "Phone andar rakh le, nahi toh tod dungi!" My sister was like, "I'm not with her!" I also instantly realised, this is not me.

That guy should be glad you hadn't stepped out of Game Over.
[Laughs] My sister was actually worried after Badla, wondering who I'll kill, once I come back! I knew that's not a good character to bring home. With Game Over, I was getting borderline depressed. I had to keep thinking about my biggest fears, again and again, for 35 days, every single day, for 12 hours. I used to text my sister, since she is my only bouncing board. I don't freak my parents out. It would be quite scary for them to see their daughter going through these mental ups and downs.

Have you considered seeing a therapist after a role?
I thought about it couple of times. But I go on a vacation after every film as a ritual. If I feel it [the character] is still not leaving me, I will. Until now, it's been fine.

What happened after Pink? That's another character, who's been through trauma.
Before Pink, I never thought I could cry without glycerine. I never used glycerine in Pink. During that shoot in Delhi, thankfully, I was staying with parents. It was all fine. But after the film got over, I would cry at the drop of a hat. I'd look at a beggar, and cry. I'm watching Jana Gana Mana on television, and I'm crying. I don't know what had really changed.

You please take care, okay?
[Laughs] Yeah, I'm trying! I've some really good people around to keep me sane.

Guess movies like Judwaa 2, Chashme Baddoor help too?
A lot! Sometimes in that world, you're made to realise that you don't really belong here. It's almost like a favour that you're [getting to] do this [role]. In this [alternative] side of the world, where most of my filmography belongs, they wonder why I have to succumb, or downgrade [myself] to do that! So either way, I hear shit from both sides. [laughs]. I might be the only one to create that middle path that probably didn't exist before; at least you'll remember me for it.

If one were to look at turning point for Hindi films for you, I'd guess it's literally that kickass introduction scene in Baby. You just unexpectedly popped up like a storm, haven't looked back since. Take us through that scene?
I'd just finished Chashme Baddoor [first Hindi film]; looking for the next. And I wanted to up my game. I'd heard of a film with two girls — one cast opposite Akshay [Kumar] sir; the other, who's an agent, with around 10 minutes on screen, but an action sequence by herself. Something in me suggested I should go after that role. I kept pushing the casting director to fix a meeting with Neeraj [Pandey] sir, who had seen me as a coy, shy girl in Chashme. So obviously I wouldn't qualify. When I met Neeraj sir, he gave me dialogues, that I just read. It was not an audition, otherwise I would've failed. He just spoke to me about my athletic side. I was a lot into sport. Somehow he was convinced.

You'd done martial arts?
No, but I was extremely physically active. So it [martial art] would look natural on someone who's into sport. I began training for martial arts. Now I had this injury from my dancing days. While trying to do a split, I had once injured my ligament. That injury started resurfacing with those high kicks I was practicing for Baby. I was so scared to tell anyone about it, lest I lose that role. So I would train for two hours, then go for physiotherapy for an hour — every day, for six to seven weeks. The first scene we shot for Baby in the Nepal schedule was my fight. There were two days kept for it. We finished it in a day. I had also taken Vitamin B and D injections, to make sure it [the injury] doesn't resurface. After the scene, when I told them about this injury, and how I was so scared to lose the role. They went, "Stupid; we wouldn't have done that!"



That scene might as well be the first to inspire an entire film — Naam Shabana.
Basically I've realised, what works for me, is when people don't expect anything. People did not expect that in an Akshay Kumar film, anyone will have a substantial role. Or even in Pink, for that matter, with Amitabh Bachchan being there.

Mulk as a drama would be a natural follow-up to Pink?
Apart from the courtroom drama, I don't think anything else was similar. I think Pink was very vulnerable. Mulk wasn't.

Did you similarly go as deep into Mulk?
Mulk was more like an inner voice wanting to use my medium's power as an actor to say what I wanted to say. I was the first actor to read the script in Anubhav [Sinha] sir's office. I told him right there that I was on. That last summation dialogue was something I started preparing for in my head from the day I read the script. I was waiting to do that two-pager...

Single take?
Yeah. There were five cameras running together. We had 100-120 junior artistes, given the last day of courtroom sequence. I said, "Just keep [cameras] running, come what may. Call cut, only if there's something drastically going wrong. Otherwise don't." We rolled. A new actor on set started coughing. She didn't know how sync sound works. Or that she could just go out. I finished the whole sequence. Everybody stood up and clapped. It was a surreal moment. A junior artiste handed me a signed note saying "You'll be the number one actress of Bollywood very soon", and left.

What about the cough sound?
Then Anubhav sir walks towards me with the sound designer, and I was like, "I just want to go die, right now. Don't know if I can do this again!" That new actor was in tears. I can't even get angry at her, because poor girl, it's not her fault. I did that shot again. But eventually, Anubhav sir cleaned up [sound], kept the first take!

Was Badla a lot less stressful?
Yeah, I could just 'act', because she [the character] was 'acting' there as Naina Sethi. And I easily knew what I should do to make it look real.

Stupid question, fair warning. If I recall right, there's a scene in Badla, where your co-actor, surprised by some answer of yours, says, "If this is true, then I'm Amitabh Bachchan!" Now if Bachchan already exists in the fictional space the film is in, then you would know it's him when he walks through the door, no?
Nahin! That Amitabh Bachchan is not the Amitabh Bachchan in the head of the person saying that line! It was Manav's [Kaul] impromptu addition to the dialogue; not how it was written. Sujoy [Ghosh] found it very funny. I was, like, whatever, if you guys are fine.

You've called your character in Manmarziyaan the closest to you as a person. Did that make it easier for you to play?
The part that was hard to play was the fact that she goes back to the boyfriend, after getting married. I am not that confused in life. I'm very black and white, with everything. And Rumi is always grey. It was very difficult for me [to get audiences] to root for this character, who is not loyal to the husband. I took it up as a challenge, doing it innocently, but with much conviction. I'm hopelessly loyal as a person.



[Die-hard] romantic type?
I might have dated a lot of people, but I've been 100 per cent there. And if it doesn't work [out], and I feel like going with someone else, I will cut this off completely. And then go. So that overlap didn't make sense to me. What the writer Kanika [Dhillon] told me is that [if it wasn't for that conflict/scene], then it's a cakewalk [for the character]. And I agreed.

I liked that Abhishek Bachchan's Robbie, while being the corporate bore — compared to the happening Vicky (Vicky Kaushal) — wasn't shown to be a complete doofus, given how 'suits' are often stereotyped in popular films. Which of the two would you have picked in real life?
As Taapsee, I would have chosen Robbie any day. I am not comfortable with people who don't really know where their head, hand, and feet are. Vicky was that confused. He just never had a spine. Only had heart.

He'd be more fun to be with.
Yeah, but fun means I can be friends with them. Robbie had a sense of humour at times. And he had this whole thing of, "I am yours; will be yours"—that maturity level to handle someone like Rumi. Robbie was very close to the kind of man I'd want to be with.

You are also an entrepreneur, running a wedding-planning company, invested in a badminton team, which you don't talk about. How do you handle them on a day-to-day basis? [Mohar Basu]
Let me clear this misconception. It is not that I don't talk about it. It's people who don't want to acknowledge and glorify the fact that an actress from a middle-class background is doing this simultaneously. And not because she doesn't believe in her future as an actress. But because she just wants to. Only business magazines end up mentioning it a little bit here and there.

Have you seen the show Made In Heaven; does wedding-planning business really work like that?
[Laughs] The chaos behind organising a wedding and making it look like the way it does is the same. But as far as I know, my company doesn't delve into the personal life of the bride and groom, get them together, or separated... As for day-to-day management, I don't; my sister does. I only go for key meetings. And I'm part of marketing ideas on how to grow the business. With badminton, the tournament and auction happen once a year. I have a proper office working for the rest of the months.

Apparently your team hits bad luck, whenever you're in the stands?
[Laughs] That was happening! And I was sitting in the toilet in the same seat throughout, because we were winning! Trust me it was very difficult to get investors on board for this. I gave some 20-30 odd presentations, and I finally got one investor out of them. It is not easy, just because I'm an actor. But it's helped me grow as a person. I make time for it.

What's the craziest thing a fan has done for you? [Karishma Kakar]
There was this one guy, after my first Telugu film, who just felt like giving me his first salute, before he joined his IPS [police] training. And he did. I don't know why. That was quite crazy.



You've simultaneously worked in Tamil, Telugu [which are also distinct industries], and Hindi films. How different is the kind of reception you get from each?
Very different. In this I can generalise between Tamil and Telugu, to contrast it with Hindi audiences. They [in the South] are very passionate movie fans. Even if you're one or two-film old, and your film has worked, they might not be your diehard fans, but because they are movie fans, they will be crazy about you. Passion for films is that high.

For film stars, no?
You've come in a film; you're a star for them. It's a ritual for them to watch a film every weekend. And they'll give you a chance. It's not like in Hindi, where we get tired telling the public, "Meri picture aa rahi hai, please trailer dekh lo!" Here, only when the word-of-mouth spreads that you take time off your busy schedule, and give the film a chance.

Do you think Hindi audiences have become jaded?
Honestly, don't know the reason.

Do you feel more like a 'star' in Hyderabad/Chennai?
Yeah, you're larger than life, when you are a star, in the South. Here, everybody and anybody who is sitting on a set is a star!

Interesting. Which one would you prefer to be?
I should not complain either way. Because I am getting to live both worlds. If I want to feel like a queen, I can go down South. Or I can just do one Hindi film, and they make me see the reality — that you are nowhere, and you are here only [laughs].

Bollywood makes you feel that? You've spoken about how you still feel like the outsider.
I don't see that as a negative feeling. It is my big USP, or weapon of sorts. My point of view of a lot of characters probably looks real, because I've lived it, and I'm really happy for that. And to an extent I have kept myself away from the social circle of the industry. My day ends at 10 pm, begins at 6.30-7 am...

You sound like Akshay Kumar to me; you also do about four films a year!
I wish. Even if I would've achieved half of what he has, I'll retire. Also, I really don't want those conversations of films and the film industry seeping into my real life.

You've spoken about how you've been kicked out of films, because you weren't recommended by people from certain families.
Yes, and it still happens. And it is a rule of the game, and I accepted it long back.

But it pisses you off, right?
Of course, you feel really angry, and you vent it out. I do it in front of my sister. My sister always has the same answer —that I always knew about it. It happens in every industry.

You publicly sarcastically cribbed about it, when you were left out of Filmfare popular award nominations, despite having three big releases the same year.
Actually two years back, it affected me the most, when Pink happened, because I was snubbed then as well. [Filmmaker] Shoojit Sircar told me, "Apne kapde silwa le, iss saal bade award milenge tujhko!" People were just crying while interviewing me, because of the role that had touched them so deeply.

Which is true, yes.
After all that, you are not even nominated in a lot of awards, and totally snubbed that year. That broke my heart. I thought I'll do something. I'll give such films every year that people will start asking you [the organisers], "Why are you snubbing her?" I was snubbed last year as well. But, this year, things changed. Because it became so evidently shameless that people started questioning. Now they can't turn back and say, she's bitter, cribbing, or crying. I am not saying anything. My audience is.

You also speak about how you get far more recognition from the public than peers in the film industry.
Yes. But, since when did peer validation become the true hallmark? I am fine with being the underdog. I am still not in the so-called list of "5 actresses to be rated in the order of their performances!" But I am still the same actress whose films are the highest rated in the year. Let the validation come in from the public. None of these peers whose validation we expect are paying for the movie ticket. So it doesn't matter.

As told to Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 27, 2019)

My first pay cheque was for Rs 300 which I got playing for the Under-16 cricket team for Delhi. To make some more money, I signed a contract to play English county cricket for various clubs. We would get around 50 pounds for a game and since the money came immediately it was a big deal.

I would even help prepare the pitch, operating the roller, because I got paid extra for that. When it started raining, I would help pull the covers over the pitch and got more, something as much as five to ten pounds. So, I would keep hoping for a shower on the day of the match.

I booked myself for maximum games and would even help the coaches. During this time, I would wear my father’s (legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi; pictured on right) shoes from his cricketing days. It wasn’t just for the nostalgia but because it made me feel like my father was with me all the time.

Every ground had a small bar and I helped serve the orders. I made two to three pounds for every table. After the place shut, we would pool all the tips we had earned and the kitty would be equally divided between all of us. These tips would help buy two meals at a restaurant and taught me how to value money.

I also learnt how to live on my own and manage the house. Detergent is expensive in UK, so four-five boys would share a packet. We washed our own clothes because the laundry was expensive. Whatever we saved, we used to buy something for ourselves or simply take it back home to splurge on the family. I still have some of those notes and coins, British currency fascinates me.

I enjoyed the English weather, no matter how erratic it was. It helped escape the heat back home and also got me some match practice. That was my life from 16 to 21.

Eventually though instead of following in my father’s steps and becoming a cricketer, I decided to pursue a career in acting. Subsequently, I shifted base to Mumbai. It’s an expensive city, I had to pay the rent for my pad and also all the bills. Someone suggested modelling and I decided to give it a shot.

Model-choreographer Marc Robinson spotted me and gave me a break at a fashion week. I did my first modelling job for free. But on my second assignment, I would do three shows and earned Rs 7,000 a day. I needed the money to survive in Mumbai.

Then, I landed my first film, Remo D’souza’s comedy F.A.L.T.U. which featured Jackky Bhagnani, Riteish Deshmukh, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Puja Gupta and me in the lead, and Arshad Warsi, Akbar Khan and Darshan Jariwala in supporting roles. The film opened on April 1, 2011 and I was paid Rs 3.50 lakh. I was ecstatic!

Unfortunately, after that I did not get any more films. I made a guest appearance in Anil (Kapoor) sir’s television series 24 which earned me Rs 10,000 a day. Then, I was offered Shoojit Sircar’s courtroom drama Pink. It marked the entry of Bengal’s National Award-winning director, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, in Hindi films. The film which also featured Mr Bachchan (Amitabh), Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tairang, was a role with shades of grey. Pink made “No means no” the catchphrase of the nation and was a hit. Ali Abbas Zafar saw it and signed me to play Namit Khan, an expert at defusing bombs, in Tiger Zinda Hai, the Salman Khan franchise. And the rest, as they say, is history.


A young Angad on the field

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; April 15, 2019)

In her six-year-old Bollywood career, Taapsee Pannu has worked with a bevy of filmmakers on more than one occasion. After delivering hits like Pink (2016) and Sujoy Ghosh’s Badla, which released last month, she is being considered as one of the most bankable heroines in B-Town. She feels that ‘the audience’s perception is changing now’. She reasons, “Earlier, actresses were easily classified as commercial or off-beat heroines. However today, it takes a while to tag someone. And that’s what I had always wanted for myself. I can’t be a part of a film that I’m not an audience to. I take up movies only if I feel I want to spend my money and time on them. Which is why I took this middle path. For me, entertainment is about holding your audience for two hours. Slowly, with success and effort, people have started noticing it.”

Today, Taapsee has filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap, David Dhawan, Shoojit Sircar, Anubhav Sinha and Neeraj Pandey, who are willing to collaborate with her again.

She laughs and adds, “That is the biggest validation for any actor. It means that my parent-teacher meeting has turned out well. Hopefully, my directors also feel that their student is good. Hence, it’s worth upgrading me to the next standard.” She adds, “I want to be an actor of repeat value. I’m keen to work with my directors again and again because I had an amazing time doing films with them. My social circle in the industry comprises the people who I’ve worked with. So, I share a great bond with my directors and co-actors. This industry works only on relationships — there are a lot of actors who might be really good, but the ties you form give you a slight edge because of the comfort level you share with each other.”

David Dhawan, who introduced Taapsee with Chashme Baddoor (2013), repeated her in his big-budget comic caper Judwaa 2 (2017). Then, Shoojit Sircar, who produced Running Shaadi (2017), gave her Pink, which not only got her noticed but also put her in the big league. The 31-year-old impressed Neeraj Pandey with her short stint in Baby (2015) and the filmmaker decided to produce an entire spin-off (Naam Shabana, 2017) on her character from the espionage spy thriller.

While Anurag directed Taapsee in his last film Manmarziyaan (2018), he’s producing her next movie Saand Ki Aankh, and has also signed her for another supernatural thriller. Anubhav Sinha and the actress did Mulk last year and are now teaming up for yet another social drama.

Taapsee says, “The filmmakers, who are repeating me in their projects, are extremely credible names. I must have done something good for them to come to me again. I feel comfortable with them. David sir is my local guardian here because he calls me every few weeks to check on me and see if I’m fine. Anurag is like a buddy and I can discuss anything with him. With these people, I can sit and have conversations, which doesn’t have to be about films.”

The Badla actress is happy that her bonds with these directors have got her a camp of her own. “This is the only way I can build my career in a structural manner. I have to prove that I am a professional worth repeating.  I am happy all these big filmmakers have shown faith in me and I hope to live up to their expectations,” she signs off.



DIRECTORS SPEAK


Anurag Kashyap: ‘Taapsee makes informed choices’
“Taapsee is not only a good actor but she also makes informed choices. She has a lot of integrity and is a courageous person. She fights for what she believes in and speaks the truth, no matter how bitter it is.”


Anubhav Sinha: ‘She is an addictive actor’
Some actors are purely addictive. Taapsee is one such artiste. An eclectic blend of talent, pursuit for excellence, story over character maturity, team spirit and a relentless desire to make it work makes her so unique. I see myself collaborating with her more frequently in the near future.


David Dhawan: ‘Taapsee is better than many other actresses’
Taapsee’s a good artiste and an amazing person. She’s very humane and an easy person to work with. The fact that she is so committed and comes from a middle-class background keeps her grounded as she doesn’t have any airs about herself. I’m itching to work with her again and want to do a social drama with her.”


Shoojit Sircar: ‘Her choices are commendable’
Taapsee was first introduced to me by Running Shaadi director Amit Roy. I was not sure if she would be the right girl to cast. But then, he insisted I meet her and see her audition tape. As soon as I saw it, there were no doubts whatsoever. I was like, ‘Where is this girl from?’ We met and then I went to the shoot. When I saw her on sets, I had told my other producers that Taapsee will go places. Then, when I was working on Pink, she was our first choice for Meenal’s character. We straightaway called her and told her she’s doing it. She was fearless, even in front of Amitabh Bachchan. I enjoyed working with her on Pink. The way she owned up that character was extremely esponsible, as a human being. When an actor is like her, I love them more. She’s evolved and look at the kind of choices she’s making, which are absolutely commendable. I would love to cast her in anything that comes up.