Who said that looking good is not a task? There are so many girls with a well maintained body, but will they be able to walk the beachside in front of the camera wearing a swimsuit? Carrying your body in a certain manner to look sexy is also an art.
Taapsee Pannu
When you are in safe hands of a brilliant filmmaker and an ace co-actor, there is nothing to fear.
I don't believe in poking nose in other people's matters, but when it comes to matters related to me or something that affects me, I will not shy away for saying something I believe.
As a child, I liked to play different type of sport, and I grew up to be an ardent sports fan. I have been watching all sports tournament religiously, especially badminton.
It's very claustrophobic to live a life which is not really how you wanted to live. You are forcing yourself to be quiet and behave like someone you are not.
Nepotism and outsiders are two sides of the same coin that is Bollywood. They both have to co-exist. Both have their share of struggles.
I didn't know how to act, but I was open to learning. I was not delusional that looks would help me sail through.
'X-Men' or 'Avengers!' I want to be a mutant or an Avenger.
I don't understand indie films. So, I won't do such films.
While I do my work with a sense of honesty, I tell myself, 'What is the worst that can happen? I fail, right?' So, will I stop living after that? No. I will try again.
I have never used a fairness cream in my life. I don't think being fair is in any way superior to any other colour. And when I started working, I found that being fair has actually backfired for me. I have lost a few films because I'm too fair.
It helps me rejuvenate when I use my energy in different directions and then come back to acting.
In school and college, there have been instances where I wish I knew how to defend myself.
As long as I get to do the kind of work I want to do, I am okay with being a Z-lister.
I keep saying this: that I'll get married when I am ready to have a kid. I won't have a kid without getting married for sure.
At the end of the day, it's show business: you earn money to make money.
As a child, I wanted to be an astronaut, then a fighter pilot, and then later, as I grew up, I was focused on scoring high marks so that I could do an MBA in marketing.
I always find a reason to be happy before I sleep. For me, happiness is a choice that is in your hands.
I used the same hand to pat my back and to pick me up when I get shattered after losing out on a film due to reasons except your credibility to that role.
I've seen people being in awe of Anurag Kashyap, but I'm not a fangirl.
Since I am an actress and not a social activist, cinema is the best medium for me to state my views.
I'm very good at manipulation.
I have always been inclined towards sports.
I feel that I'm a perpetual struggler. I always keep struggling to get certain roles, and when I get them, I struggle to get certain types of films.
Doing films like 'Judwaa' helps me relax, and that should be my reason for doing it, not to compensate for doing films like 'Pink.'
We have to jump into the competition and prove ourselves every moment.
I have this habit of not rehearsing a lot; I don't go on practicing my dialogues, pauses, and actions.
I'll always have to make sure things happen eventually and don't slip from my hands, from under my nose. I'll always have to be on my toes.
I'm trying to break a lot of prejudices with my every film.
I haven't faced harassment in terms of work, but I think every girl in India has gone through some or the other awkward moment in public where she was eve-teased or touched inappropriately.
I'm not a confused person in real life. I'm very clear.
I have been following badminton for quite some time, and I know most of the Indian players personally.
To me, a good film is one that can keep me engaged for two hours.
Honestly, till the time each and every movie-goer knows about me, I will not stop doing multiple films a year.
I am a self-proclaimed feminist in a lot of ways, but I am not going to say that I will take a pink flag and run to India Gate with that.
Though my parents have seen me in all possible avatars, my extended family has been pretty excited since the time they've gotten to know that 'Manmarziyaan' is a story based in Amritsar.
I am very expressive and hyperactive.
As an actress, I am happy that people are offering me good roles and I am earning success critically and commercially.
I knew that the only way to get noticed would be by doing something that was not expected of me. I was sure I wouldn't get noticed if I continued to play the heroine in films like 'Chashme Baddoor.'
Over the years, we have been conditioned that certain communities need to be looked upon in a certain typical way. So I think we need to question the logic behind it. 'Mulk' is going to question that logic - and where did it start and why did it start and the need to change it immediately.
It is not a shocker to me that a film went out of my hands, not because I was not credible, but because I was not so-and-so's daughter or sister or dating so-and-so.
This industry is quick to stereotype. People had started talking about how I was primarily being part of women-centric movies. I didn't want to be labelled as part of a mahila morcha.
I want people to believe that I can pull off more than one or two types of genres or characters.
I never regret or sit back and think that I shouldn't have said something. There are a lot of people who tell me that you shouldn't say this or that or should keep quiet, and I really think that I can either be true to my conscience or can live a fake life by staying quiet.
I can't suddenly say that because I am acting opposite Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and Varun Dhawan... I should get the same salary as theirs. Because I won't get the audience to the theatres as much as they will.
I think being strong is something that resonates with my personality. It's on my face.
I am moving towards that zone where I don't want to be a replaceable name. This is my goal. I want to hear from the industry that, 'You are the only one who can do this. We will not go ahead with the project if you don't do this.' And I want to hear from the audience that it is worth watching a film that I have done.
Either I choose to behave or live a life of someone else, or I choose to be myself and live the life the way I want.
You can make me work for 14 hours at a stretch, but don't make me sit.
Maintaining pay parity is very important, and I am in total favour of it.
