Taapsee Pannu: People on social media are being brainwashed into hating, I call these trolls my closeted well-wishers

Actor Taapsee Pannu talks about the burning debates Bollywood is grappling with, social media toxicity and her in famous ‘befitting replies’ on Twitter that trigger the troll army who, she says, don’t realise they’re actually benefiting her.

Not someone who believes in reserving her comments for an opportune moment, Taapsee Pannu has, time and again, spoken her mind and made bold and brave statements. Even when she gets trolled for her ‘befitting replies’ on Twitter, the actor says, she will continue to hit back at those who try to pull her down. Opening her heart once again, the actor exclusively talks to HT about happily being an ‘outsider’, hatred army on social media that’s is being brainwashed into hating, public figures being under constant scrutiny and how Sushant Singh Rajput’s death has turned into a circus. Excerpts from the interview:

Actor Taapsee Pannu says there’s a price one has to pay to be a public figure, especially in India where there’s a very thin line between their real and reel personalities, for audiences.

As the insider vs outsider debate rages on, do you think you can ever call yourself an insider in Bollywood? Does it even matter now?

By whatever yardsticks that we have, yes, I’m an outsider, but what’s wrong in it? I’ve never felt inferior about calling myself an outsider and I don’t see it as a derogatory word. It’s just a tag that they put basis which family you were born in, and the access you’ve had to the film industry. So, basis that, I’m an outsider, and tomorrow, if my kid ends up becoming an actor, they’ll start calling me an insider. Also, I agree it’s a tougher journey because you don’t have the same access points, you end up losing films to people who have those access points, and I always looked at those let downs as a challenge to turn the tables, one day. I’m glad I could do that to a large extent. It’s not like wrong and unfair things don’t happen to me now also after doing a decent amount of work, but I still don’t see them as something that will make me bitter about the industry I’m in. I still take them as a challenge. So, it’s not like I want to become an insider, no, I’m fine being an outsider and I’m very proud and happy being one.

 

Amid so much flak that the film industry has been facing for the last few months — whether actors spoke up or stayed mum — do you wish sometimes that people just left Bollywood alone for sometime?

I feel with great power comes great responsibility. I do agree if you are a celebrity, you are celebrated by the audience, and in India especially — like it or not — there’s a very thin line between the characters we play on camera and the way we are perceived as human beings. Most of our audience, even when they talk about roles and the films that we do, for example, when they talk about say Thappad, they’ll say, ‘Taapsee was married to this guy, Taapee’s husband hit Taapsee, , so they forget it’s not Taapsee, it’s Amrita (my onscreen character). That’s how the audience treats the film industry actors. So audience think our onscreen and real personalities are the same. So when people think these are the heroes they pay to watch and they celebrate these characters, they’re also celebrating these human beings, and hence we’re supposed to live up to that image that we’ve created in their minds because of our films. And that’s why there’s an opinion demanded and expected out of us, and I’m not totally against that. I understand, there’s a price you have to pay to be a public figure, and this is one of that. All I’m saying is, when you expect us to have an opinion, either agree or agree to disagree. You cannot curb our opinion by spewing hate on us, or get angry at us for not having an opinion — then you’re forcing your opinion on us. So, being held accountable in a very grave manner for having, or not having an opinion on a certain topic, sometimes crosses the line for us. So I’m not saying leave Bollywood alone because I’ve always said that cricket and Bollywood are two religions in India, and a lot matters when a cricketer or a film industry celebrity says something. But then, you can’t bully us for having an opinion.

Only a select few in the industry are known to fearlessly put forth their opinion on social media, but is it too much pressure when you’re expected to comment on every controversy that erupts?

People sometimes forget that forcing me to have an opinion is also equivalent to asking me to think the same way you think and that’s wrong. But yes, we face the brunt of speaking our minds, and for some people, it has repercussions on their careers. Personally, For me, whenever an issue affects me and makes me think and form an opinion, I do mention it because I’ve always believe in hating the sin and not the sinner. I don’t like the blame game. I don’t like pointing fingers. I’d like to address the issue and not the people associated with it. I’m very clear about what I feel is right or wrong. I don’t talk about who is right and who’s wrong, that’s not how I think. This has also helped me form an image that I voice out, but I don’t go to extremes and I don’t force my opinion on anyone. I don’t like to pull others down to climb up.

 

And what about your ‘befitting replies’ that trigger the troll army to get after you. Do you still get bothered or would you continue giving it back to them?

So, in the beginning, I thought it’s a one off thing or twice that my replies to trolls were headlined as ‘befitting’, but slowly when trolls also starting using this term, it got me thinking that why only my replies particularly are consistently being called befitting? See, I don’t even call those bots trolls, because they’re machines who I don’t address to. I’m talking about those real people, trolls who’re either misguided or brainwashed or are probably jobless and have nothing better to do than to pull down other people on social media. Those people, when they started writing just anything, to pull me down for no valid reason or argument, I started replying to them. And I realised maybe they aren’t used to seeing a female actor respond on social media or maybe not used to reading replies with such sarcastic humour. That, I feel, got attention a little more that I expected and made me a part of this ‘befitting reply headline’ all the time. Also, when you pick on someone trolling you, there are hundred others who are brainwashed into hating and believing that they are anti you, and then everyone ends up ganging together up to form ‘hatred army’ making fun of he fact that my replies are being tagged as befitting. But they don’t realise it’s not funny. I never thought I have an image of giving a befitting reply; these trolls have given me this image and that has kind of benefited me a lot in a way I never thought it will. That’s why I say these trolls are my closeted well-wishers and even they don’t realise that they’re actually benefiting me instead of actually harming in the long run. I hope they also change their tactics because these current tactics are not working in their favour, they are working in my favour.

 

A lot been said about Sushant Singh Rajput’s death that shook the film industry . There’s no end to prime time debates, conspiracy theories, blame game and witch hunt... do you find all this disturbing?

I’ve maintained that I’ll never make someone’s death a personal vendetta, or a way to get through people who I have issues with or just to create a drama around to get attention which I can see a lot of people doing right now. I’ve always seen him (Sushant) on screen as an actor, but now I’m seeing things being spoken about him, his personal life, family, love life, habits and god knows what all, on TV in such big debates on prime time with some really high level dramatics and conspiracy theories being thrown all over the place. As a viewer, I’m not able to understand if these channels are taking over the work of the court and CBI because they’re passing statements. I always thought news debates are about putting forth two sides but right now, it’s a forced side being shown and a decision being made. The kind of conclusions some of the news channels have given us, they’re trying to create a perception and image and they’ve sort of given a verdict even before the court and CBI’s decision of the case. So I’m unable to understand if I should listen to the verdict from these news channels, what they want me to believe, or it’s fair to wait for the what the court or CBI have to say eventually, because that’s what the law of the land is. But, right now, I come across these headlines and statements given by TV anchors, which are conclusive, as to what exactly had happened, when CBI and court haven’t really given any statement as to what really went behind this. So, I feel there’s some circus, for the lack of a better word, that has been created on TV and it’s making the audience feel delusional about the law this country is supposed to follow. You can’t misuse the power you have to influence people, on TV, to give verdicts when it’s not your job. It’s clearly like an opinion is being forced upon and one particular side being pushed down out throats. Initially I was very curious to know what really happened with this very amazing actor, but now, slowly over months when I am seeing this, it looks like everyone is trying to push some of their personal agenda.

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