Taapsee Pannu on camps and power play in Bollywood: I always knew it’s going to be unfair, biased for me; so why crib now?
Actor Taapsee Pannu talks about the existing camps in Bollywood and how she was always prepared for the unfair games that she will become a target of in her career.
In her recent interviews, Priyanka Chopra Jonas had made some shocking revelations about the existence of camps in Bollywood, and her experiences that point towards the dark side of showbiz. And now, Taapsee Pannu, who recently completed 10 years in the Hindi film industry, has a similar story to tell about Bollywood, though she refrains from nitpicking on someone else’s comments and asserts that she has always “maintained my own stand on it”.
She tells us, “Yes, Bollywood camps isn’t something that people don’t know about. It’s been there since forever. It can be basis an actor’s friend circle, a certain agency or group that they’re a part of and people’s loyalties differ based on that.”
However, she prefers not holding any grudge against the industry or blames it for being biased [towards outsiders]. “Everyone should have the right to choose whosoever they want to work with, or have in their films.I can’t blame them for thinking about their own careers,” opines the actor, who was seen in Blurr, Dobaaraa, Shabaash Mithu and Loop Lapeta last year.
While she admits it’s a constant fight for an outsider like her to stay relevant, the Haseen Dillruba (2021) actor says she doesn’t let it maker her a “bitter person” because she was always aware of the unfair nature of the industry.
“I never came with a point of view that it’s going to be all fair in the film industry. I always knew it’s going to be biased. So why crib about it now?” she questions, and adds, “For me, rule of the game is that it’s going to be unfair. The tide is going to be against you most of the time. And if after all that, you still decide to be a part of this industry, then it’s your choice and you can’t complain about it later.”
Having said that, what gives her a sense of relief and the courage to keep moving forward is the realisation that life in general is biased to everyone in some way or the other.
She explains, “Forget about this industry... I don’t know of any profession, apart from sports probably, where camp and favouritism does not exist, at least to some extent. The results are fair and square, and proportional to ones talent. It’s not dependent on luck.”
With films such as Dunki, Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba and Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan? lined-up for release this year, Pannu stresses how this discussion is nothing new and outsiders, including her, have time and again talked about the struggle to make their way in Bollywood.
“To become a part of this industry, you first get a foot in the door, and if you manage to do so, there is a struggle to be able to make your presence felt. You have to struggle to prove yourself with every film. It’s not like you have one successful film and the next 10 years are sorted for you. It does not happen like that with people who come to this industry with no background. We have to consistently keep doing good work to be able to have a standing of our own,” she concludes.
