BOLLYWOOD NEWS: Taapsee Pannu has built a reputation for taking on emotionally demanding characters and films driven by strong themes. However, the actor says she is eager to move beyond the intense roles that the industry has increasingly associated with her and explore lighter genres, especially romantic comedies.
In a recent conversation with Hindustan Times while discussing her filmography and Gandhari, Taapsee revealed that she has been waiting for filmmakers to imagine her in a different space. The actor said she would happily take up a fun romantic comedy if the right opportunity came her way.
Taapsee Pannu Wants Filmmakers To See Her Beyond Intense Roles
Taapsee said she would like audiences and filmmakers to see another side of her as an actor.
“Please tell people, have mercy, give me something light. I would love to see you in a rom-com. I would love to do it too,” she said.
According to Taapsee, the problem is not a lack of interest in lighter projects but the industry’s tendency to repeatedly associate successful actors with the genres in which they have previously performed well.
She believes this can restrict an actor’s opportunities to demonstrate their range.
‘There’s A Certain Kind Of Creative Imagination’
Taapsee argued that filmmakers can sometimes play safe once they become comfortable with an actor in a particular kind of role.
“There’s a certain kind of creative imagination that our industry is not that good with,” she said, explaining that once an actor becomes known for a particular genre or screen persona, casting decisions often continue within the same framework.
She added that filmmakers tend to keep an actor in a familiar “world” rather than taking the risk of imagining them in something completely different.
Taapsee Turned Down Several Action And Investigation Films
The actor also revealed that she has deliberately rejected numerous projects in the action and investigation space.
After films such as Baby and Naam Shabana, Taapsee said she received several similar offers but chose not to repeat herself.
“I can’t begin to tell you the number of films I have turned down — investigation films that I have turned down, like a lot. Action films that I turned down after Naam Shabana and Baby until now,” she said.
For Taapsee, repeatedly being offered similar parts reflected a larger problem in the industry’s approach to casting.
“Because it just felt like there’s a creative bankruptcy where you can’t imagine a person — if you’re calling someone a good actor, not me, if anybody, a good actor — then please put the faith in that person to be able to perform range,” she added.
‘It’s Not My Fault If I Am Only Offered 10 Intense Films’
Taapsee also pointed out that an actor’s filmography may not always represent their complete range.
“It’s not my fault if I am only offered 10 intense films,” she said. “I will choose the best out of it and present that, but it will still be a strong woman, intense film because that’s the only genre that people have started imagining me [in].”
Her comments underline the difference between the roles an actor wants to play and the roles that are actually offered to them.
Taapsee Says Manmarziyaan Proved She Can Carry A Love Story
Taapsee cited Manmarziyaan as an example of her ability to work in a romantic narrative. Despite having already explored the genre, she feels that some filmmakers still find it difficult to picture her as the lead in a conventional love story.
“If today someone goes out to pitch a love story with me, people can’t imagine it. They don’t want to greenlight it because they feel like, ‘Taapsee in a love story? It’s very difficult to imagine.’ I don’t understand,” she said.
The actor’s comments reflect her desire to break away from the perception that she belongs exclusively to intense, socially driven or action-oriented cinema.
Why Taapsee Did Khel Khel Mein
Taapsee also discussed her experience with comedy in Khel Khel Mein. Unlike some of her more demanding dramatic projects, she said she took on the film largely because she wanted to have fun.
“I literally did Khel Khel Mein for me to have fun,” she revealed, adding that being part of a large ensemble gave her an opportunity to simply enjoy the experience.
She credited director Mudassar Aziz for trusting her with comedy and suggested that more filmmakers should take similar chances with actors who have already established themselves in particular genres.
Taapsee Pannu’s Gandhari On Netflix
Meanwhile, Taapsee’s latest project Gandhari takes her back into a more intense space. Directed by Devashish Makhija and written and produced by Kanika Dhillon, the film features Taapsee as Bani, a mother whose daughter is abducted.
The cast also includes Ishwak Singh, Jatin Sarna, Swastika Mukherjee, Mita Vashisht and Chhaya Kadam.
Gandhari premiered on Netflix on September 3, 2026.
