“All this hard work should be worth it,” remarks Tapsee Pannu as the photographers scattered after a long photo shoot. Her warm and assertive room presence compliments her 5’7’’ stature as she grabs a chair and settles down. Dressed in white shirt and blue jeans, she wears a not so common confidence. What is on her mind right now? “I have not slept for two days and it is like this for a while,” replies Tapsee as one initiates the conversation. Majority of her films did fair business last year and Judwaa 2 was a big hit. Still, the business side of films does not attract her too much. “I cannot be greedy in saying that my every film should be a blockbuster but whatever kind of work we do, it is essential to get some sort of feedback. At the same time, a chance should be given to each film.”
Having worked with industry’s most sought-after actors, she has a clear understanding of changing roles of her male counterparts in the industry. “The male hero is not as chaste, an avatar of Lord Ram, as it used to be earlier. He has flaws and grey areas. It has been realised that a hero cannot be a godly figure all the time,” she opines.
Tapsee’s rational approach is rooted in her upbringing. “I was never a fangirl or a film geek, who waited for every Friday and watched the first show of every film. I used to be the person who used to watch films only when I decided to have a good time with my friends.”
Though she has been a part of both big-budget films and smaller films, the binary of commercial and art cinema does not work for her. Rather she prefers not to have categories. “I think whatever works on box office is commercial and that can be a smaller film too. The box office results of smaller films like Pink, Newton have shown that,” remarks the Pink actor.
Referring to the shift in the narrative in last five years, she explains the changing portrayal of love in films including her recent release Dil Junglee . “No two generations can be on the same page when it comes to an understanding of love. It is not just about meeting of eyes. There are many other things that need to happen in a room before one realises that he or she is in love,” laughs Tapsee.
Right to say ‘no’
Taking up the issue of consent, she asserts that new filmmakers are giving female characters a right to say no. “The early stalking hero is not accepted by the heroine anymore as she clearly says no if she feels like. It is reflective of the sensibilities of the youth who do not have time and effort to waste. They also have other stuff to do and so do the protagonists of these films. Women are busy doing their work and are not essentially waiting for a knight in shining armour,” reflects Tapsee.
Now that she has been part of two back to back romantic films, is romance seeping into her real life too? “I am not a romantic person in my real life. I love to watch romance in films, but in real life I do not have many romantic experiences and I cannot even visualise doing it for somebody (laughs). I do not feel like wasting time and effort for someone else. I can only have a conversation with a person I like,” replies Tapsee with a tinge of smile.
Describing the real self, she quotes the similarities between her characters in Running Shaadi and Pink . “Though I have not gone through an incident like what happened with my character in Pink but that would have been my stand too. As a human being, every individual has some opinions and judgements and I firmly believe in mine,” remarks the Delhi-born actor.
Her stands on issues and frankness in giving statements are well-known but according to her that does not make her an activist. She wants to remain only an actor. “I do not say things sitting in my home nor do I have to gain an image of a serious actor so that people take me seriously. I only reflect if someone asks me to give my opinion. Saying no comments is an easy way out and most of the media people do not like it. I want people to think that I am an actor who has a spine, who has a life beyond films and opinions of her own,” concludes Tapsee.
