‘I do a lot of things apart from acting, for my mental health’

Taapsee Pannu has had an eventful year. Apart from receiving positive feedback for her role in Manmarziyaan, the actor — who is reportedly dating Danish badminton player Mathias Boe — launched her own badminton team and has been busy with her wedding planning company. She also gives enough time to playing her other favourite sport — squash. Talking about the importance of cultivating interests beyond movies, Taapsee says, “It can be subjective and I can only answer for myself. I feel that you can be a good actor if you are aware and mature in your real life, too. These parallel jobs that I practise help me to grow as a person and disconnect from my profession. It helps when I want to rejuvenate and get back with more energy. I do a lot of things apart from acting. Acting is my job. So once I finish my work, I come back home to a life beyond films. I don’t have my films’ hangover at home. I get rejuvenated when I come back to something different. That helps me. I come back to people who have no idea of films, my family and friends.”

She adds that she enjoys playing squash as much as the other performing arts. “Squash is my means to stay fit and enjoy the process of staying fit because I am a sports lover. Buying a badminton team was an extension to that. And, wedding planning company was more like a collective decision between me, my sister (Shagun Pannu) and my friend. It’s a business that really fascinated me and has a lot of scope for creativity. When I am on these jobs, I totally forget that I am an actor too, and I feel that is very good for my mental health,” she says.

Squash is my means to stay fit because I am a sports lover. TAAPSEE PANNU, ACTOR