Taapsee Pannu turned down roles to avoid typecasting, told directors: 'Don't cast me in this, it's bad for your film'

Taapsee Pannu will be seen next in Gandhaari. The film will release on Netflix.

Updated on: Aug 28, 2026, 15:46:36 IST

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Taapsee Pannu has established herself as an actor in the film industry by starring in several female-centric films, including Pink, Mulk, Thappad and Assi. The actor is now gearing up for the release of her upcoming release, Gandhari, which is an action thriller about a mother's struggle to save her daughter. In a new interview with news agency PTI, the actor opened up about her career and surviving in an industry where getting typecasted in a certain image is very easy.

What Taapsee said

The actor shared how she does not want to be trapped in a particular image. "Everybody is going into their comfort zone and using tried-and-tested methods. For instance, for glamorous roles, they (industry) have a set of five actresses they can cast, and for hard-hitting, issue-based films, they have another set of five actresses to cast. I've actually started turning down films for this reason, telling makers that the audience will easily guess the ending. So, (I tell them) 'Don't cast me in this, it's bad for your film'. I've gone and 'de-sold' myself to a few films," she added.

"It's a snowball effect. From the beginning of my career, I had no options in regular mainstream cliched roles, which are actually money-spinners for actresses. I didn't get those kinds of roles; hence I took the other type of roles, and to my luck, those films and roles later became mainstream," she said.

About Gandhari

Directed by Devashish Makhija and written and produced by Kanika Dhillon, the film is set in the fictitious town Joypurra and shows the blind mother's journey through hidden truths, mounting danger and unexpected allies, where hope must continually stand its ground against darkness. "It's more like a mother's response, like how far can she go if her child is taken away from her? It's different from a crime against women. A child can be anyone's child, but the point is that if her offspring is taken away and she has to take things into her own hands, how far can she go? According to my understanding, there is no limit; you have unleashed a superpower that no one can control," Pannu said.

It also stars Ishwak Singh as Gokul, a father grappling with the disappearance of his daughter, while Jatin Sarna plays Kabir, the officer leading the investigation of missing girls. Swastika Mukherjee, Mita Vashisht and Chhaya Kadam complete the ensemble. Gandhari premieres on September 3, only on Netflix.

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