FIRMLY IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT

TAAPSEE PANNU’S PROFESSIONAL TRAJECTORY ENSURES THAT SHE IS THE ANCHOR OF THE FILMS SHE CHOOSES TO BE A PART OF, EVEN AS HER CHOICES ARE FAR FROM FORMULAIC.

- SUHANI SINGH

Taapsee Pannu never dreamt of being the torchbearer of women-centric cinema. When she started out a decade ago in the South, there was no plan or long-term vision. “I had a small goal of surviving for just five to seven years in the industry,” she says, referring to what she was told was the shelf life of actresses. “I’d say in interviews that a decade from now I’d be settled in some other profession. ”Acting though, didn’t end up being a dalliance; it became a duty, one she loved performing. For Pannu the quest to not settle for less and seek meatier, complex parts is worth all the effort. “I have always felt that if an actress does one film which works and makes people look at protagonists in a different light, then it opens doors for 10 other actresses,” Pannu says. “Women who did it before me enabled me to seize such an opportunity. I am glad to contribute the change in some way.”