- Monday, November 25, 2024
Pannu also praised Shah Rukh Khan, noting that he is someone she admires greatly, particularly for his off-screen presence
By: India Weekly
ACTOR Taapsee Pannu has shared her thoughts on taking a backseat in films and the ease she felt working on Rajkumar Hirani’s 2023 directorial “Dunki”, a film headlined by Shah Rukh Khan.
Speaking at Sahitya Aaj Tak, Pannu explained that she is comfortable doing roles where the pressure of leading the project isn’t on her.
“Everyone says that people don’t want to come to you with the films that have big heroes because they think you won’t be doing that. But sometimes I do like to take a backseat where I know that I will do my job and it won’t be a stupid role but the pressure is not on me to headline,” Pannu said during the event.
Reflecting on her time working on “Dunki”, Pannu shared how relieved she felt around the film’s release. “When I did ‘Dunki’, trust me, I was so much at ease around the release time… There was Rajkumar Hirani, you have Shah Rukh Khan, so I took a backseat and said now all these big names will take the front seats and drive the car,” she added.
Pannu also praised Shah Rukh Khan, noting that he is someone she admires greatly, particularly for his off-screen presence. “Only few people are there who have an on-screen and off-screen presence of a star,” she said.
“You can learn many things from the people on-screen but for me the first thing was that he is well-read, he carries knowledge and the way he can talk deeply on any topic… That personality is far superior to anybody I have met in the film industry so I think that is my biggest takeaway after working with him.”
Pannu was last seen in Netflix’s “Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba”, which was released in August. The film is a sequel to the 2021 thriller “Haseen Dillruba”, and also stars Vikrant Massey and Sunny Kaushal. Reflecting on the success of the film, she said the audience’s response made it clear that a sequel was a must.
She also shared insights into the character of Rani Kashyap, which had been initially turned down by other actors due to its flaws. “I felt like in real life, we are between ‘devi’ and ‘daayan’ sometimes. We do make mistakes, god didn’t make us perfect. So to accept that mistake makes Rani super human. She makes mistakes and she goes on to accept it and is ready for any kind of punishment. I think that was a very different twist to the female character which Kanika came up with and it got imprinted in people’s minds.”
Pannu went on to say that the “Haseen Dillruba” films have become synonymous with her, noting how the character’s wardrobe, especially the sarees, has influenced her personal style.
“My wardrobe has changed, I have got so many sarees since then. I don’t feel like wearing anything else. So it has impacted me on the personal level as well,” she said.
