Taapsee Pannu Birthday Special: From Being Called A Jinx To Being Hailed This Gen's Shabana Azmi, How Thappad Actress Evolved Over The Last Decade!

A palm reader had once told Taapsee Pannu that she has a short life-line. "Ever since someone told me I have a short lifeline, I feel I need to make the most of it all. Life is too short to crib over things that are not in one’s control," she had informed FirstPost in an interview. Now you know why it took her just a decade to become an actress who is getting compared to stalwarts like Shabana Azmi. Be it Pink or Thappad or Judwaa 2 for that matter, Taapsee has proved her mettle in all brands of cinema to prove that she is a talent we should all be proud of. Taapsee Pannu On Kangana Ranaut: She Didn’t Support Me When I Was Replaced In Pati Patni Aur Woh And When Deepika Padukone Was Threatened

From being called a jinx to headlining a movie, Taapsee has seen all and been through a lot to be where she is today. She is proud of that journey. In the same interview, she had said, "I have made bad decisions, but those were mine. Perhaps if I had not faced those failures and got the nickname ‘iron leg’, then maybe I would not have paused and rerouted my career to get on the path I am on. Nothing is the be-all and end-all of life. I never planned to be a heroine or to be the hero of my films. That is what gave me the confidence to persevere, even when I was called a jinx, to now headlining films." So how did she fix everyone's mindset jinx to become such a valuable addition for Bollywood? Let's find out.

#A Model Actress

Taapsee is an engineer. Yes, yet another engineer who didn't pursue what she studied. But in this instance, we are damn glad she didn't or we would have missed out on a great actress. And that's exactly why the South Indian film industry was buzzing with her name when she debuted with a Telugu musical Jhummandi Naadam (2010) after many successful modelling assignments. Pannu in a Rediff interview had said, "Initially, I wanted to be a full-time model and never thought I could act. As time went by, modelling became not that exciting or enjoyable, as posing in front of the camera became monotonous. Also, I felt my name was not being highlighted. The name gets highlighted only in films. One gets to do something new, meet new people everyday and travel while doing films. So I wanted to act." Such clarity from a newcomer...so refreshing!

#The Rise Of Pannu

In 2011, Taapsee had seven releases and five of them were Telugu movies. She had arrived much before she debuted with Jhumandi Naadam, actually. The actress had three films in her kitty by the time her first released. Her popularity soared. Taapsee didn't use South Indian films as a means to enter Bollywood. In fact, in an interview, she did mention that she chose the film not the language. Soon enough Bollywood came calling in 2014 in the form of Chashme Baddoor. A remake of a classic movie by the same name, the movie did quite well at the box office. But it didn't quite open the floodgates for the actress in terms of Bollywood offers until Baby happened.

#No Shame To Ask For Work

Many feel it's slightly embarrassing to ask for work but Taapsee is an exception. She admitted to having approached the director Neeraj Pandey of Baby (2015). She told Hindustan Times, "I was being patient waiting and choosing offers and even going out there asking for what I really wanted to do. For instance, for Baby, I approached the director and asked if he can cast me for the role I was keen to do." We all know what that yielded. Her character Shabana Khan became the talk of the town especially after that superb hand-to-hand combat scene with Sushant Singh. We doubt we have seen such a physically strong female character in a Hindi film in years. That led to a spin-off Naam Shabana which proved to one and all Taapsee was here to stay.

#No Looking Back

But before that Pink (2016) happened, a movie that came to her. There's nothing that people don't love about that film. More than the court drama, it was the rousing and relatable dialogues of the movie that got people to watch it on repeat. Taapsee's earnest performance got a lot of acclaims. While there was no looking back, getting typecast was what Taapsee had to field. She wanted a break from intense movies after Pink but she shot Naam Shabana immediately after that. Hence, she was glad when Judwaa 2 came her way. Although the film seems like an aberration in her career now, it is one of her biggest hits.

#Line-up To Impress

Any actress would love to trade places with Taapsee for what followed after that. She continued giving some of the best performances and soon became an actress of repute. Mulk, Manmarziyaan, Badla, Mission Mangal, Saand Ki Aankh, and Thappad established her as an actress who deserves movies that match her talent. All these movies are content driven and have her playing different characters, a few, unlike anything other actresses would even attempt. Taapsee Pannu Shares Throwback Pic with Amitabh Bachchan and Director Sujoy Ghosh from the Sets of Badla

For everyone who wants to make it big in Bollywood, Taapsee's journey can give you a lot of lessons. The biggest one being if you have talent, there's nothing that can stop you. Also, the way Taapsee owns up to every mistake or good decisions of her life is inspirational, to say the least.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 01, 2020 12:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).