Tapsee Pannu’s role is not as pink in the movie ”˜Pink’
By Neeru Saluja
Actress Taapsee Pannu is in the best phase of her career. Her film ”˜Pink’, the social thriller starring Amitabh Bachchan is creating ripples in the industry. It’s a movie that raises more questions than providing answers. As the film puts spotlight on crime against women, Taapsee will be seen in a totally different and a bold avatar.
The vivacious actress Taapsee Pannu ventured into Bollywood with ”˜Chashme Badoor’ and ”˜Baby’. If you haven’t seen much of her after these films, it’s because she is simultaneously working in three industries (Telugu, Tamil and Hindi). Always a multi-tasker, we slowly realise how a girl from Delhi with an engineering degree lands up a role with Amitabh Bachchan and a successful career in the South Indian film industry.
Candid and confident in her conversation with The Indian Down Under, the pretty actress who reminds us of Preity Zinta gave us an exclusive interview prior to the release of the film.
We have heard a lot about your film ”˜Pink’. Not revealing too much, tell us about your character in ”˜Pink’.
This film is about three working girls living in Delhi. They come from different backgrounds but are staying together. There is one incident that changes their lives upside down, for good and for bad. What happens eventually you will have to see in the film.
My character hails from Delhi but she stills lives with her roommates. She is a professional dancer and as she comes late after stage shows, she prefers to stay separately from her family. This incident happens with her – she wants to fight for what she feels right and doesn’t want to brush things under the carpet.
Why is the movie titled ”˜Pink’, a colour that symbolises women?
Our minds are conditioned that pink means delicate, girly, pretty, etc. We wanted to break the convention and the typical metaphor of how women are perceived. It’s about breaking the stereotype casting of women.
It’s a social film, we are not making a documentary where we are preaching things. We are showing things as they are and as they happened. What you take from the film is your take. There is no spoon-feeding in this film.
How was it sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan?
It was an honour and privilege both to work with him at the start of my career. It was a dream come true. I didn’t tell my family that I was working with him until I reached the sets. When I signed for the film I had no idea I was working with him. Once I was there, I couldn’t do the shot, it took so many retakes. My eyes couldn’t stop blinking! Those are the kind of effects you have when you act with Big B!
After that I had to calm myself down and started focusing on the fact that he’s just a co-actor. I enjoyed the energy as a co-actor. Because he is so brilliant you get a high, and he helped me acted better.
Would you call this film as the highlight of your career?
This is a turn in my career, but I can’t call it the highlight of my career. When I made my debut in Bollywood with Chashme Badoor, it was called the highlight of my career. It was the same with my film ”˜Baby’. Every different attempt is a new turn in my career.
You have made a mark in the industry within a short timeframe. Without any contacts, was your journey easy?
I have learnt from my mistakes and experiences and don’t want to repeat my mistakes. Bollywood is so big and you have to be very careful. I haven’t faced any bad experience so far. I had a 20 minute role in Baby but still got noticed and was flooded with offers thereafter.
You are a Jat Sikhni brought up in Delhi and are now working extensively in the South Indian film industry. How did your parents react to your decision of joining the film industry?
First they didn’t understand exactly what I was doing. It was quite an unexpected turn for them. My family doesn’t even go to theatre, acting in films is totally out of their league. I told them let me give it a shot and if it doesn’t work out I’ll come back and study further. An opportunity came my way, I gave it my best shot and it worked.
If acting wouldn’t have worked for you, where would we see Tapsee in the next coming years?
I never planned acting and haven’t planned what’s next for me. I might do my MBA and look for a job but in a different country. Once I leave acting, I would like to move out of India to lead a normal life. I don’t want to be looked upon as an actor for the rest of my life.
What statement will the film ”˜Pink’ make when it is released on 16 September?
Pink will make people question a lot of things. It will spark a debate. The discussion for the film will start after people watch the film.
Pink releases on 16 September in Australia by Mind Blowing Films.
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