Taapsee Pannu Shared How She Has Been At The Mercy Of Male Actors In The Industry. And We Think That Needs To Change.
There are a number of traits that I possess, that I unapologetically blame on my mother to have passed down on me. From my short temper to my affinity for writing, I’ve inherited all from her, or so I’d like to believe. But, if there is one thing that has had nothing to do with heredity, it is my rising levels of intolerance. You see, that is a new-fangled trait and one that I most definitely blame our society for. Considering how often women struggle to survive let alone come on equal grounds with men, we can’t really be blamed for being on the verge of intolerance whenever another case of such prejudice surfaces. And actress Taapsee Pannu recently reconfirmed our speculations for Bollywood industry to be no different.
In an up close and personal interview with the Saand Ki Aankh actress, Taapsee Pannu candidly spoke about all things Bollywood. From talking about what made her sign ‘Saand Ki Aankh’ to the kind of challenges she faced during the shoot where she played the role of a woman in her 60s, Taapsee Pannu shed light on several unknown facts about the movie. Taapsee shared how many people called her decision to sign the movie her ‘stupidest decision’. She said, “Mental hardships were when we said yes to the film, everyone around us said this is the stupidest decision because why would you do a two girl film without any hero, who wants to play an old woman? This has no precedents, and you always feel the fear of the unknown, what might happen to your career, but I’m like someone needs to take that step.”
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And we are glad someone did. Because at the end of the day, no matter how much we claim to have progressed in our views and content, there is still an assumption that an actress (or two, in this case) can’t create a blockbuster. In what was even sadder to hear, Taapsee also talked about how being an actress in the industry means you will be at the mercy of your male counterparts. She said, “I’ve seen a major change in front of my eyes in the last 5-6 years. (Earlier) I was at the mercy of heroes saying yes to me for being a part of the films, to now where I’m being cast first and then the other actors in the film.”
Also Read : Taapsee Pannu Spoke About The Age Controversy Around Saand Ki Aankh And We Think She Has A Point
She further said, “I’ve been replaced from films where heroes didn’t approve of me or some or the other issue, not related to my work, to now this. Of course, the pay changes based on the success of your film. It is still far far away from the heroes but it has changed. I want to look at the positive side of it. If my box office collection reaches at par with the heroes, I’m sure my income will also be at par. It is moving in the right direction.” And while we really love her perspective and undying devotion to making her mark in the industry and end this pay-disparity, we don’t understand why is there still a need for the women to prove their mettle. At the end of the day, who is cast in a movie isn’t a decision we need our male actors to make.
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We’ve women like Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt who marvelously deliver brilliant performances. Their successes aren’t dependent on the male cast. In fact, they can be the central lead of the movie and carry its success on their own shoulders. So why is it that when the time comes to give credit, it is conveniently handed over to the actor of the film? So when we see actresses like Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu, taking up not just challenging roles but also opting for movies without a male starcast, we are all up for it. Because if we say that change has finally descended, it is because of such women, and we laud them for it.
