Taapsee Pannu: ‘Producers were not casting me because I’m sheer bad luck, that was really hurtful and scary’

Currently basking in the success of Mission Mangal, Taapsee Pannu talks about dealing with failure and never letting it question her worth

With Pink (2016), Mulk, Manmarziyaan, (both 2018) and this year’s Badla, Taapsee Pannu has proved herself as a bankable name. There have been a few misses, too, with Running Shaadi (2017), Dil Juunglee (2018) and this year’s Game Over, but the actor does not see failure as a roadblock.

Taapsee Pannu during the promotions of Mission Mangal in Mumbai. (IANS)

Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu and Vidya Balan during the media interaction of film Mission Mangal, in Mumbai.

“The films that didn’t do well are battle scars, which one should be proud of. I’ve had a few of them but I always believe what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger,” says Taapsee, currently basking in the success of Mission Mangal.

And she continues to thrive with a line-up of films that includes Saand Ki Aankh, Tadka, and Thappad. But the Soorma (2018) actor does point out that being an outsider, the struggle has been real.

“When you’re not from a film background, and work to carve a niche, people try and paint a different image about the film industry. I was told, ‘Everyone will pounce upon you or take advantage of you’. And if you enter the industry, you’d have to bend backwards or do things against your morals. It was a scary image for a girl who was sitting in Delhi having a middle-class life,” she recalls. Thankfully, the image didn’t turn out to be true and Taapsee feels glad that she “didn’t compromise on her ethics, or bend rules to fit in.”

The 31-year-old further adds, “Everything has a good and a bad side [to it], but I only saw the bad side being portrayed very gloriously, everywhere. When I entered the film industry, there were experiences that weren’t great but I had some people who were genuine, and they’re still with me on my journey.”

Before coming to Bollywood, while aspiring for an acting career, Taapsee moved from Delhi to Hyderabad in 2009. There, she learned a new language and the craft from scratch. Despite all the hard work, when her films down south didn’t do well, she was “openly written off as bad luck for the industry.”

Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha and Taapsee Pannu during the promotions of Mission Mangal, on the sets of a TV show in Mumbai.

“The producers were not casting me because they thought my five scenes and two songs in the film made a h**l lot of difference to the film’s result because I’m sheer bad luck. That was really hurtful and scary because it questioned my credibility and existence at a point. But thank God, that part didn’t take over me and I survived,” she shares

Follow @htshowbiz for more