‘I believe in boxoffice collection above all else’

Actor Taapsee Pannu’s recent film Judwaa 2 broke box-office records in 2017, being packed with the ingredients of mainstream entertainment. Known for powerful performances in hard-hitting films such as Baby (2015), Pink (2016), and Naam Shabana (2017), the actor feels that commercial success comes first for a film.

“I believe in box-office collection above everything else. Your film may get four or five stars or even one, but nothing matters in front of the box-office collection. You can make more films with the money you get from your previous films. This is the sad truth. You cannot make films with critical acclaim — you have to make them with money,” says Taapsee.

The actor is aware that her step into commercial cinema has disappointed fans who like seeing her in intense roles. “I have got an audience that appreciates my work. But some of them were not really happy when they got to know I was doing Judwaa 2. They were [perhaps] thinking why I needed to do this when things were going really well [for me] in different kind of cinema. The fact is that it gives me a chance to show my versatility and to widen my horizons in terms of the audience,” says the actor.

And what was it that convinced her to say yes to an out-an-out commercial venture? “The idea was to prove that this kind of cinema, too, is something I want to be a part of. I really wanted to prove that I can do such roles as well, if given a chance. I’m a maximum actor, and can do every kind of genre or character. I am happy with whatever Judwaa 2 has done for me,” Taapsee signs off.

Actor Taapsee Pannu says that it takes boxoffice collections for the industry to keep making films