Cinema VinesIn a candid conversation with the Hindustan Times, actress Taapsee Pannu criticized Bollywood’s tendency to recycle the same set of stars for similar genres, calling the practice a “creative bankruptcy.” Pannu, who has built a reputation for portraying strong, intense characters, argues that audiences and filmmakers often pigeonhole actors into a narrow range of roles once a particular image takes hold.
She cited her recent performance in the film Gandhari as a turning point. In the movie, she plays Bani, a mother on a desperate quest to find her kidnapped daughter, a story that forces her into a dark, unsettling world. Pannu said the role required a complete visual transformation, thanks to a dedicated team of hair, makeup and costume designers who helped her look markedly different from her everyday appearance.
“I would like to take the credit, not just myself, but with my look‑creating people — the hair, makeup, costume — to be able to make me look like Bani in this film, because I’m nowhere close to her in real life, how I look,” Pannu explained. She added that an actor need not resemble the character physically; instead, the story and setting should dictate the look.
When asked why Bollywood seems to offer her only a limited set of roles, Pannu pointed to the industry’s reliance on a handful of actors for most genres. “All the rom‑coms, glam stuff looks the same because there are only those four or five actors, actresses who are doing that. All our thrillers look and feel the same because there are only those four or five actors who are doing that,” she said. She urged filmmakers to take more casting risks, arguing that fresh combinations of actor and character could revitalize the cinematic landscape.
Pannu’s remarks come at a time when Bollywood is under scrutiny for its lack of diversity in storytelling and casting. By championing new talent and encouraging directors to step outside familiar pairings, she hopes to break the cycle of formulaic films and offer audiences more varied and authentic narratives.
