Actress Taapsee Pannu recently revealed that she has actively begun turning down film roles to avoid being typecast, noting that the Indian film industry frequently relies on tried-and-tested formulas that categorize actresses into rigid groups for either glamour or issue-based cinema. Speaking in an interview with PTI, Pannu explained that she has even “de-sold” herself to filmmakers by pointing out when a script’s ending is too predictable for audiences to enjoy. Reframing her career trajectory, she shared that her decision to take on unconventional, hard-hitting characters initially stemmed from a lack of opportunities in conventional mainstream roles, though commercial successes like Soorma, Mission Mangal, and Dunki eventually helped balance her portfolio and relieve the psychological pressure of back-to-back intense projects. Looking ahead to her upcoming Netflix action drama Gandhari—written and produced by Kanika Dhillon, directed by Devashish Makhija, and co-starring Chhaya Kadam and Jatin Sarna—Pannu highlighted the emotional core of the film, which explores how far a mother will go when her child is taken away. Additionally, she addressed the persistent financial disparities in Indian action cinema, emphasizing that women-led action projects face budget limitations compared to male-centric ones because high-end technology and large-scale action require massive financial investments that the industry has yet to allocate to female action stars.
