Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu has revealed why she has deliberately turned down some films, saying she does not want audiences to immediately associate her with a particular kind of character.
Speaking to PTI in August, Pannu discussed the industry's tendency to rely on familiar casting choices and said she wants to experiment with characters audiences would not necessarily expect from her.
“Everybody is going into their comfort zone and using tried-and-tested methods. For instance, for glamorous roles, they (industry) have a set of five actresses they can cast, and for hard-hitting, issue-based films, they have another set of five actresses to cast,” Pannu told PTI.
“I've actually started turning down films for this reason, telling makers that the audience will easily guess the ending. So, (I tell them) ‘Don't cast me in this, it's bad for your film’. I've gone and ‘de-sold’ myself to a few films,” she added.
Pannu said she would also like to return to lighter projects, pointing to her 2024 ensemble comedy Khel Khel Mein as the kind of film she would like to explore again.
The ‘hero’s wife’ incident
The actor has now also recalled one of the more uncomfortable experiences from her career.
In a recent conversation with Nayandeep Rakshit, Pannu said she was once removed from a film after already committing her dates. She said she was not given a clear explanation at the time.
“I have been told that I was replaced by the hero of the film. God knows the reason. I keep imagining the reasons. I can imagine the insecurity, I can imagine that he wanted someone else whom he was closer to. I can imagine various reasons, but I wasn’t given any solid reason,” she said.
Pannu then recalled the explanation she considered the worst she had received.
“The worst reason given to me when I was replaced was, ‘The hero’s wife doesn’t like you.’ I don’t know why she didn’t like me,” she said.
What Taapsee Pannu recently said about Mathias Boe
Pannu is also making headlines for her latest comments about husband Mathias Boe, the former Danish badminton player. The couple have been together for 13 years and married in 2024.
In a recent interaction with Nayandeep Rakshit, Pannu described the relationship as one built around security and respect.
“An extreme sense of security is the reason why we are together. Most importantly, there is immense respect for each other. Love comes after that, I feel,” she said. She also described marrying Boe as the best decision she has made in her life.
Pannu said she began dating Boe in the same year she made her Bollywood debut and has largely kept their relationship away from public scrutiny.
Gandhari and upcoming projects
Pannu was most recently seen in Gandhari, the Devashish Makhija-directed action thriller that premiered on Netflix on September 3. She played Bani Sikdar, a mother searching for her kidnapped daughter.
Earlier this year, she appeared in Anubhav Sinha's Assi, playing lawyer Raavi.
Her upcoming projects include Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan?, a comedy featuring Pannu and Pratik Gandhi, and the sci-fi project Alien. Current listings show Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan? in post-production and Alien in filming.
