Taapsee Pannu on not having Rs 100 crore films & being told ‘your film is a flop: An actor has to go through it

Mumbai, September 2 (IANS) Actor Taapsee Pannu who has delivered some of the finest performances in Bollywood, said she is comfortable with not having many Rs. 100-crore films to her credit.

The actor par excellence said that she has consciously prioritised the quality and longevity of her filmography over temporary box-office rewards.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Taapsee said she has seen many films that did not perform at the box office initially but went on to acquire cult status years later.

“There are a lot of good films that don’t run in the box office. And then after 10 years, we bring them in the best films of the decades. Then we give them cult status. Then they are worshipped. Then their reference points are made. I mean, I have seen a lot like this in my career,” Taapsee said.

The actor said this understanding has influenced the choices she makes as an actor, adding that she has consciously chosen her filmography over the “temporary reward” of a box-office number.

“So, it is a conscious choice that I have made of choosing my filmography over temporary reward. Because this filmography is going to stay. Time will change. Today, there are films like this. Tomorrow, there will be films like that. Earlier, there were other kinds of films. But my filmography won’t change. It will stay the same,” she said.

Taapsee said she wants to be associated with films that she can look back on years later and still feel proud of.

“So, I want films like this in my filmography. Even after 20 years, if I watch it, I will feel that yes, this was a good film,” she said.

“Obviously, you have to pay the reward for this. You are told that your filmography is a flop. And then you have to wait for 10 years for it to get cult status. Then you can give big interviews. And in the same year, no one is asking about the other hit films that have been made. So, it is such a weird cycle. As an actor, you go through it,” she said.

Taapsee said the important question for an actor is to understand why they are making a particular film, whether it is solely to chase a big hit or to create something that stays with audiences.

“So, you have to be very sure. Why do you want to make this film? Do you want it to become a big hit? Or do you want the people who watch this film to remember it? Not just now, but even after 10 years. So, I think I chose this second option,” she said.

The actor also candidly acknowledged that she has not had the kind of ₹100-crore box-office success that has increasingly become a benchmark for commercial stardom.

“And I think it’s fine. I am okay being someone who has probably not had 1000 crore, 5000 crore films. 100 crore films also for that matter. I have not really had many in my career. I am fine with that,” Taapsee said.

For Taapsee, what carries greater significance is being remembered for the characters she has portrayed rather than the size of the numbers attached to her films.

“I would rather be someone who is remembered for the kind of roles I have done. I think that’s a little more significant for me,” she said.

Over the years, Taapsee has built a filmography around many hard-hitting and female-led stories, including ‘Pink’, ‘Mulk’, ‘Thappad’, ‘Rashmi Rocket’, ‘Saand Ki Aankh’, ‘Badla’ and ‘Dunki’, among others.

She is now set to take on another intense role with ‘Gandhari’, in which she essays a desperate mother who embarks on a quest to find her daughter after she is abducted.

‘Gandhari’ is set to premiere on September 3.

–IANS

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