Mumbai, Aug 28: Actor Taapsee Pannu says she has started turning down predictable roles because she does not want to be confined to a particular image in the film industry.
Pannu, known for her performances in films such as Pink, Mulk, Thappad and Dunki, said she has told filmmakers not to cast her in roles where audiences can easily anticipate the storyline or ending.
“Everybody is going into their comfort zone and using tried-and-tested methods,” Pannu told PTI in an interview.
She said filmmakers often rely on a fixed group of actresses for glamorous roles and another set for hard-hitting, issue-based films. “I’ve actually started turning down films for this reason, telling makers that the audience will easily guess the ending,” she said.
The actor said she has deliberately stepped away from certain projects because she believes repeating similar roles could also affect the film itself.
Pannu said her career followed an unconventional path partly because she initially did not receive conventional mainstream roles that were considered commercially successful for actresses. As a result, she took on more challenging parts, many of which later became mainstream.
The actor said she now wants to experiment with characters audiences would not immediately associate with her. She cited her role as an influencer in the 2024 comedy Khel Khel Mein as an example.
She also credited films such as Soorma, Mission Mangal and Dunki with helping her move away from intense roles. According to Pannu, doing hard-hitting films continuously can become psychologically unhealthy.
Pannu will next be seen in Netflix’s action-drama Gandhari, marking her return to the action genre nearly a decade after her role in Baby and its spin-off Naam Shabana.
Discussing women-led action films, she said they continue to receive smaller budgets compared with male-led projects. She noted that the limited investment restricts the scale of action sequences, particularly because advanced technology and visual effects can be expensive.
Directed by Devashish Makhija and written by Kanika Dhillon, Gandhari follows Bani, played by Pannu, a mother who loses her eyesight after her daughter is kidnapped and sets out to track down those responsible.
The film also stars Ishwak Singh, Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukherjee, Mita Vashisht and Jatin Sarna. It is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on September 3.
