“I’ve Changed A Lot During The Past One Year,” Taapsee Pannu On The Year That Was

Taapsee Pannu couldn’t be in a better place. After a slew of shero films where she had to be forcibly appointed as the face of the film, Dunki allowed her the luxury of taking the backseat. “Dunki gave me a chance to work with Shah Rukh Khan and Raj Kumar Hirani. It was an experience to cherish. Each day I wanted to observe and absorb the maximum.I was very much aware I may not get this kind of opportunity again in my life. I realized what makes Shah Rukh Khan such a superstar is not just his cinematic personality but also the kind of person he is in real life.”

For once Taapsee didn’t have to worry about the marketing of the film. “This is why during the last two years I had so much time and mindspace to relax and not worry about how to push my film out there. Because I knew I was riding on the safest vehicle in Dunki.I could sit on the backseat not have to worry about the intentions and efforts that were being put into this project. I really enjoyed just relaxing on the backseat and let people who know their job do the marketing.

She feels past one year has been a time of change in her career and perspective. “I think I’ve changed a lot during the last one year. My biggest takeaway of the year was that there is no categorical success or failure in life. It’s all about how one perceives every incident in one’s life. Even the biggest failure has a lot to teach you. At least you know what not to do in the future. Even that failure becomes a success in the larger scheme of things. So this kind of shift in perception has helped me understand the dynamics of success and failure better. Which is why I see it as a year of wholesome growth. I have stopped judging success and failure in ultimate terms.”

Taapsee also produced a lovely film Dhak Dhak in 2023 which sadly went unnoticed on the big screen. “The marketing of Dhak Dhak was totally not in my hands. As a producer, I was advised to make good content. I did my best. What happened later was in the hands of the studio(Viacom 18). So they are the best people to answer why Dhak Dhak was so poorly marketed. When it released on OTT on Netflix, I was very concerned as their big film The Archies was to release the next day. I thought Dhak Dhak was doomed.To my surprise we started trending on No.1 almost immediately .”