Newsmaker: Taapsee Pannu, the thinking actor

So far, her filmography is best described as eclectic

It’s a curious twist of fate that actor Taapsee Pannu is being hailed as one of Bollywood’s brightest stars for her performance in Thappad. Not because her Amrita, a housewife who stands up for herself after her husband slaps her, isn’t convincing; but because Thappad’s nuanced story about how we normalise violations of a woman’s dignity is at complete odds with another role of Pannu’s from three years ago.

Before she set her sights on the Hindi film industry, Pannu had worked and found success in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam commercial cinema. (Amal KS/HT Photo)

In Judwaa 2, Pannu played a character named Samaara, who, clad in a short dress, was made to bend over in a scene only so that the hero could slap her behind. He then followed it up with a forced kiss that reduced Samaara to tears — all this was played for a laugh, in 2017.

Fast forward to 2020 and Pannu is standing firm, both on screen and off, against misogyny and stereotyping in popular Hindi cinema.

This year, Pannu, 32, completes a decade as an actress. Later in the year, she’ll be seen headlining director Vinil Mathew’s mystery thriller, Haseen Dillruba. She’s also in the titular role in Rashmi Rocket, about a sprinter from Gujarat, and she’s playing Indian cricketer Mithali Raj in the biopic, Shabaash Mithu, which is slated for release next year.

Illustration/Gajanan Nirphale

If an actor becomes a star when she’s the lure dangled before audiences, then Pannu seems on her way to becoming one of the industry shiniest.

So far, her filmography is best described as eclectic. It includes titles like Judwaa 2 and the Telugu film Mr Perfect, which exemplify pulp at its stupidest. At the other end of the spectrum are the National Award-winning Aadukalam and Pink. A big chunk of Pannu’s career consists of films in which she was wasted, like Mission Mangal and Soorma.

Before she set her sights on the Hindi film industry, Pannu had worked and found success in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam commercial cinema. The awards she has won range from the ridiculous (“most enthusiastic performer”) to the impressive (10 different Best Actress awards). She’s also an entrepreneur: Pannu and her sister run a wedding-planning firm and Pannu co-owns the Pune 7 Aces franchise in the Premier Badminton League. In the middle of all this, the actor also finds time to slay trolls whose sensibilities are offended by the photo of her in a bikini, by her opinions and by her general refusal to be pigeonholed.

Pannu’s breakout role was in Pink, directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and released in 2016. The star of this courtroom drama was Amitabh Bachchan, but Pannu as Minal, who is molested and almost raped, commanded the attention of audiences across the country.

Crimes against women, no romantic subplot, a cast of un- famous actors (barring Bachchan) — everything about Pink suggested box office kryptonite, but the film went on to make ₹107 crore.

Since then, Pannu has gone from strength to strength, establishing herself as an intelligent actor who infuses spontaneity into her performances and isn’t daunted by challenging subjects or roles. She has chosen to collaborate with directors who are idealistic, outspoken and talented, like Anubhav Sinha and Anurag Kashyap. She has picked projects that are ambitious and showcase her as a star.

The missteps, like her unconvincing performance in Saand ki Aankh, are now few and far between. The determined lawyer in Mulk, the tempestuous lover in Manmarziyaan, the docile housewife in Thappad — Pannu is fast turning out to be Bollywood’s Everywoman.

MAKING A PRODUCTION

The final frontier for Indian women actors has been film production. Here are some who have boldly championed entertainment that puts women and women’s issues in the spotlight.

Priyanka Chopra: One of the first to take this turn, Chopra’s company, Purple Pebble, has produced several films in regional languages, including the Marathi film, Firebrand, about a lawyer who defends survivors of sexual crimes.

Anushka Sharma: Her company, Clean Slate, produced NH10, Phillauri and Pari, among others. NH10 was a surprise hit.

Deepika Padukone: Her KA Entertainment produced Chhapaak, inspired by the life of acid attack survivor and activist Laxmi Agarwal.

Dia Mirza: Her company, Born Free, produced Bobby Jasoos, starring Vidya Balan, and the streaming comedy series, Mind the Malhotras.

Twinkle Khanna: Has been credited as co-producer on many of husband Akshay Kumar’s films, but her own company, Mrs Funnybone Movies, produced Pad Man.