TAAPSEE PANNU WANTS TO EXPLORE MASS ENTERTAINERS

TAAPSEE PANNU wants to explore mass entertainers even though she feels audiences prefer to see her in serious roles

After cementing her place in Bollywood with hard-hitting films such as Pink and Naam Shabana, Taapsee Pannu feels the audience prefers to see her in “serious roles”, even though she debuted in Hindi movies with a light-hearted Chashme Baddoor.

Changing course

The actor says she is waiting to “shift gears” into a massy, commercial cinema with a film like Judwaa 2, in which she starred opposite Varun Dhawan last year. “I have been busy doing other films, my calender was so full. Also, I think audiences have loved me so much in this type (referring to serious) of a role that they are not okay seeing me there. I am like, let me do it for my breathing space. I don’t know if I should feel good or bad about it. But I am still waiting and struggling to get a film like Judwaa 2 again to shift gears,” Pannu said.

Taking risks

The actor, who made her cinematic debut in 2010’s Telugu film Jhummandi Naadam, said she can afford to take the risks in the South film industry as she has “built a certain rapport with people there”. For example, Pannu says, she did not charge any fee for her last Telugu film as she wanted to help the producers to keep the budget in check. She, however, asked for a share in the film’s profits. “I shared the profit with my producers as that film had no hero but the concept was brilliant. I understand the plight of the producer when there is no hero. I know the budget will not be more and so I did not charge from my side but I asked for a profit share,” she says.

Making profits

But the actor believes she has a long way to go in commanding a piece of the profit pie when it comes to Bollywood. “I have worked for about eight years in South Indian cinema. I can take that risk over there. I am newer to Hindi cinema. But, I might do that (profit sharing) in the future. The audience here knows me but not as prominently as it is there. The day the audiences know me well here too, and come to watch my films I will do that,” she adds.