Taapsee Pannu reveals why she did Judwaa 2

Taapsee Pannu has said that her decision to appear in the mainstream film Judwaa 2, after having starred in smaller, more serious movies, was a conscious one.

With films like Baby (2015), Pink (2016) and Naam Shabana (2017), Taapsee Pannu earned the moniker of a serious actor. And then came Judwaa 2 (2017) that saw the actor in a glamourised avatar. To this date, the comic caper remains her most commercial film. It might have been tagged as a popcorn flick but it was a rather important film for her. “When I did Judwaa 2, I didn’t only want to achieve a certain box office figure but also break the myth that a girl who works in unconventional films cannot be a mainstream actor,” Taapsee says.

The actor says that it was a much needed step to break out of the mould and perception that people had created about her. She explains, “The stereotyping is out there to eat you. If I didn’t do Judwaa 2, people would’ve kept me aside saying that I’m can only play offbeat roles. I can do both now.”

She says that she’s now happy to tread the middle path and strike a balance between mainstream and content-driven cinema. “What has happened from Judwaa 2 to now is that the line between glamourised and content-driven films has blurred. I’m, in fact, doing a film this year which will be highly glamourised but it’ll have a very strong story and my character will also be very strong. I’m hoping that I can continue walking through this middle path in the future too,” she shares.

For Taapsee, it’s important to branch out beyond films as well. And so, being a sports lover, she has owned a team in the Premiere Badminton League. Ask the 32-year-old actor if she plans on foraying into other sports and she says, “I entered this space because I knew badminton a little bit and what goes behind this. Unless I’m well-versed with a particular sport, I’ll be pretty aimless having a team. It should come out of knowing the sport first. As of now, I know no other sport that well,” she concludes.