Taapsee Pannu may not have had a release in 2014, but she says it was the most satisfying year she had in terms of defining roles she has done. With four exciting projects - Baby, Runningshaadi.com,Muni 3 and Vai Raja Vai - in her kitty, the actress says her best is yet to come...
You didn't have a single release in 2014 despite having worked for the entire year.
Yeah, that's strange, but true. But I'll be the worst person to answer this question. The right people are my producers who take the final call on their films' release. Maybe, they've put it on hold for better reasons. No complaints though.
You're one among the popular actresses. Does it add pressure on you when you don't have single release in a year?
I don't ever consider myself in a race. I've always taken up acting without any planning. In fact, I had never aspired or planned to become an actor and everything happened by chance. I never had to worry about what I have to do next. Everything that's happened to me as an actor so far has fallen on my lap and I've accepted it. I've never got worked up about my future. And I'm pretty much thankful to what I've got till now. I also consider myself very lucky to have had a wonderful debut in Tamil as well as Telugu. I'm extremely happy with the way my career has shaped up so far.
But wasn't 2014 an eventful year given that you were working in multiple projects, playing diverse roles?
It was eventful because the kind of work I did in 2014 was the best of my career. That's precisely why I don't worry too much about the release of these films because I knew I had the best in hand. I also learnt that you need lot of perseverance and patience in this profession.
Your career in Bollywood seem to have taken off quickly. You're already doing some big projects...
I just feel I've been wholeheartedly accepted in both the industries. Sometimes when you're popular in South, Bollywood may not work out and vice versa. I agree my Bollywood career took off when I was just two years old in the South but I never expected it. I also never expected my first Tamil film to win six National awards. Bollywood has responded as well as south did when I debuted four years ago. In Tamil, post Aadukalam, I was flooded with offers. I think the same fate is repeating with Bollywood as well.
Do you agree Bollywood is offering you meatier roles?
You could say so, but I really don't blame anyone in South. Since I know Hindi, I've realised how easy and interesting it is to work in Bollywood. Not knowing the language becomes a bigger challenge and that's what I face in South. This is one of the limitations why we don't get interesting characters there. But all that is slowly changing. The roles I play in Vai Raja Vai and Muni 3 are proof to it.
How was the experience of working for the first time with a female director in Vai Raja Vai?
I worked briefly with director Aishwarya for the film. So I couldn't observe much of a difference in the experience. But I think it's weird to compare the differences between a female and male director. I've been treated equally by every director I've worked with so far. Maybe post-shooting, when you're with a female director, you tend to hang out more and have some fun. Otherwise, on the sets, I don't see any difference at all.
Let's talk about Muni 3. Looks like it's the most challenging role in your career?
It has taken a toll on me physically as well as mentally. To spend nearly two years of my life on this project itself was very challenging. The role I play in the film required lot of physical strength. And it doesn't necessarily have to be action, but the conditions we shot in and everything I had to do for this character required lot of strength. I've done lot of underwater sequences. During peak summer time, I was dragged along the sand and we shot under very strenuous conditions. There have been instances where we shot one scene so many times that I almost gave up but my director believed in me so much that I eventually did it.
How did you keep yourself motivated to go through all this?
I could see the results as we were shooting. I saw the commitment with which my director Lawrence was working. It convinced me that this film will be a game changer for me. I'm sure it definitely will be an interesting project.
How was performing action alongside Bollywood's action man Akshay Kumar in Baby?
Akshay may be called an action star on sets, but off the sets he was very calm and laid back. He's exactly opposite to his angry action avatar on screen. It's a privilege for female actors to perform stunts in a male-dominated industry, and to be doing it in a full-length action flick is very special. I consider myself as one of the 'guys' in Baby. I think this role gave me the opportunity to get into the shoes of a man and do all that's expected out of a hero in a film. It's one of the reasons why I wanted to be part of this project because it's not going to sideline me as a heroine. I feel the lines that divide hero and heroine are finally merging and it's nice that irrespective of genders, actors are getting strong roles. It's a breath of fresh air and from here on we could only hope for change. Agreed it's going to take time, but we should at least be happy that change is happening, finally.
What projects do you have for 2015?
Well, I'm hoping for the release of the films I currently have in hand. Besides Baby and Runningshaadi.com, I'm starting work on a new Hindi film called Agra Ka Daabra with Ayushmann Khurana. I'm going to make up for all the time I lost with a bevy of releases.
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