INTERVIEW || Taapsee Pannu on her journey as an outsider: ‘Not here to be a clone of somebody’
It has been over 15 years since Taapsee Pannu entered the film industry as an outsider with no backing from a film family. The actor admits she has come to accept that things will never be easy for her, but remains convinced that owning her voice and standing her ground through the stories she tells will define her legacy in the long run.
On being an outsider
Over the years, Taapsee has carved her own path by choosing both conventional and unconventional projects, with films such as Pink, The Ghazi Attack, Mulk, Manmarziyaan, Mission Mangal, Saand Ki Aankh, Haseen Dillruba and Dunki shining bright in her filmography.
When asked about her biggest learning while navigating the industry as an outsider, Taapsee tells us, “That it will never be easy.”
“But then if you want something no one has ever gotten, you have to do something no one has ever done. I have to remember that my work is for posterity so whatever I do, I should be able to own it up at every stage of my life. I’m not here to be a clone of somebody because then my entire life will be about being a first copy. Everyone is blessed with a unique voice and presence so I should find mine because that’s the best way to leave a lasting impact,” adds the actor, who was last seen in Mudassar Aziz’s Khel Khel Mein. The film also starred Akshay Kumar, Vaani Kapoor, Ammy Virk, Aditya Seal, Pragya Jaiswal and Fardeen Khan.
Looking back at how she picked projects, Taapsee says, “I chose the conventional obvious projects in the beginning of my career in the south only to realise that the expected conventional path is not probably what is meant for me.”
On projects that changed it all for her
Here, she candidly admits that a phase marked by “a streak of flops and heartbreaks” ultimately helped her discover her true calling as an actor and the kind of stories she wanted to tell.
“It required a streak of flops and heart breaks for me to eventually find my calling. I realise I do best in films where my heart and mind is totally aligned to what I’m projecting and that project has a far bigger connection with the audience. So now I only listen to my instinct and my gut. I don’t probably choose the projects which will push the envelope of the bank account but the envelope of my artistic capability to carve a new path which isn’t walked too often,” she mentions.
The Baby actor continues, “There were a lot of obvious projects and roles I was doing that I was told are the obvious choices if you want to make it to the top. Most of them didn’t work.”
“Then there was one project in particular that I said yes to, going against a lot of opinions. It wasn’t a project that A-listers would pick up according to many people. I somehow had a gut feeling that it will ring a bell with the audience and my part will have a significant impact too. When that project worked, I realised that I should only rely on my gut feeling without bothering about the conventional formula or trend because those don’t seem to cater to someone like me. I made my own algorithm,” says Taapsee.
On her challenges
One might assume that after nearly two decades in the industry, the challenges would have eased for her. However, Taapsee points out that every phase of a career brings with it a fresh set of hurdles to navigate.
“Challenges are different at different stages. At the beginning, the challenge is to get your foot in the door without anyone having your back. Then the next one is to be able to build your own eco system from scratch because you are not given a phone book of existing contacts which will be useful to grow,” says the actor, who recently teamed up with Dove for its new campaign, Reclaim Your Curls.
She asserts, “You fall, you stumble and you have to pick yourself up so you need to make failure your coach to eventually have a life you can take full credit of. So it’s a long drawn out process which limited words will never be able to define.”
On her upcoming work
Taapsee confesses that she picks films that cater to the woman in her. She shares, “I can not leave aside the female point of view I have when I listen to stories. It’s not something I do voluntarily. It’s natural to me. My view of life has been a lot through a female gaze or experiences which help me decide if a story clicks with me or not. And since I choose films that work for my gut and intuition it, by default, caters to the woman in me.”
Speaking about her upcoming projects, Taapsee hints that audiences will see her exploring “new characters and facets of society that deeply fascinate me.”
“Alongside, I also keep trying to add brand partnerships which strictly come in the frame of the kind of work I associate myself with,” she ends.
