Films are not NGOs, can't be responsible to improve society always: Taapsee Pannu

Q. What made you choose this subject?

A. It is because this subject was not attempted before. Any subject, which has not been done before, always attracts me the most. I want to present something new to the audience because their time and money must be worth it.

Taapsee Pannu | Image Credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. How did you prepare for this thriller?

A. Actually no actor can make any preparation in Anurag Kashyap's film because of his style of filmmaking. In his film, an actor has to come on the set unprepared, submit himself/herself in the hands of the director and he will help to get through. It was actually a stress free and relaxing film because I was shooting for it in the middle of two films, which were taxing for me.

Taapsee Pannu | Image Credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

I knew I wouldn't have to think much because he is so good as a director, for actors especially. Irrespective of the content, no actor performs poorly in Anurag's films. So I was sure of submitting myself in the hands of Anurag Kashyap, who, I knew, would make sure I perform well.

Q. Your chemistry with Anurag Kashyap is also very palpable.

A. We respect each other as much as we can fight. His honesty has connected us and led us to bond since the time of Manmarziyaan. He is a genius as a filmmaker but he is even better as a human being. I may not like all his films but I really admire him as a person. I think that is why our chemistry becomes so visible.

(From L to R) Anurag Kashyap, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Ekta Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu and Pavail Gulati at Dobaaraa special screening in Kolkata | Image Credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

Q. Recently Arjun Kapoor has urged the Bollywood fraternity to unite against the boycott trend. Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar too have spoken on it. Is the trend becoming bothersome for actors now?

A. We have crossed the stage of getting bothered. These boycott trends have become like the morning newspapers. Since it has been overused, the trend has lost its relevance. It has become a joke.

I don't know about the whole industry, but it has become a joke for me and Anurag (Anurag Kashyap). The audience will or will not watch films as per their own choice. They do not get motivated by such trends. My audience's intelligence gets undermined thinking they would watch films based on Twitter trends.

Q. How do you see the sudden craze about south Indian films?

A. We all know a few weeks ago, the Telugu film industry had issued a notice saying it will stop shooting, demanding restructuring within budgets, citing the losses producers have suffered. Now coming to south Indian films, we cannot club four film industries from four-five states as south Indian film industries. There are Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam film industries in south India.

Taapsee Pannu | Image Credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS

If we go by the success rate, RRR and Pushpa (Pushpa: The Rise) were Telugu films, KGF (K.G.F: Chapter 2) was a Kannada film. Now tell me how many Hindi films have succeeded?

If we have to compare, don't club the entire south. All south (southern films) do not come under one umbrella because they have individual entities. Now by that logic, northern films will include Bengali (Bengali industry belongs to eastern India), Hindi, Punjabi, and other films!

Q. Do we overburden filmmakers, actors sometimes with the responsibility of giving a message to the society through their works?

A. These are films, not NGOs. We cannot look at films through the lens of improving society. Some films, which I have also been part of, do have such an impact on society. But all films can't be responsible for giving a message to society. We make films for entertainment too. As I said, we are not NGOs.

(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)