I am very expressive and hyperactive.
— Taapsee Pannu
At the end of it, box office result matters. And the weird thing is that we do not know the formula of that.
Though my parents have seen me in all possible avatars, my extended family has been pretty excited since the time they've gotten to know that 'Manmarziyaan' is a story based in Amritsar.
I'm trying to break a lot of prejudices with my every film.
While I do my work with a sense of honesty, I tell myself, 'What is the worst that can happen? I fail, right?' So, will I stop living after that? No. I will try again.
I really want to do a sports biopic.
I am moving towards that zone where I don't want to be a replaceable name. This is my goal. I want to hear from the industry that, 'You are the only one who can do this. We will not go ahead with the project if you don't do this.' And I want to hear from the audience that it is worth watching a film that I have done.
I never thought I could pretend to be someone else.
I don't regret a single decision of mine. Even if I made mistakes, they helped me evolve.
I haven't faced harassment in terms of work, but I think every girl in India has gone through some or the other awkward moment in public where she was eve-teased or touched inappropriately.
I always find a reason to be happy before I sleep. For me, happiness is a choice that is in your hands.
I never thought I could be an actor, as I was always a studious geek and was always interested in mathematics.
I knew that the only way to get noticed would be by doing something that was not expected of me. I was sure I wouldn't get noticed if I continued to play the heroine in films like 'Chashme Baddoor.'
At the end of the day, it's show business: you earn money to make money.
You can make me work for 14 hours at a stretch, but don't make me sit.
I think being strong is something that resonates with my personality. It's on my face.
It's very claustrophobic to live a life which is not really how you wanted to live. You are forcing yourself to be quiet and behave like someone you are not.
In school and college, there have been instances where I wish I knew how to defend myself.
It is funny now, but in the beginning of my career, some of the films failed at the box office, and filmmakers stopped casting me, saying I am bringing bad luck to their film.
I want to play whoever is opposite 'Iron Man.' I want to romance Robert Downey Jr.
I'm not a confused person in real life. I'm very clear.
If my films fail, I will work on something else; my life will not end. And the film is not the end-all of my life.
As a child, I liked to play different type of sport, and I grew up to be an ardent sports fan. I have been watching all sports tournament religiously, especially badminton.
I used the same hand to pat my back and to pick me up when I get shattered after losing out on a film due to reasons except your credibility to that role.
Post 'Pink,' I don't have any film which I can pick out from my filmography and say 'It would have been better if I hadn't done this film.'
Honestly, till the time each and every movie-goer knows about me, I will not stop doing multiple films a year.
I watch a lot of badminton, and as a result, I know more or less about the forms of most of the players.
I never thought I was gullible, but I know that I trust people easily and take people on face value.
I am looking for projects that challenge me, make me uncomfortable, and also projects that are in the hands of the right team. Then it's up to me to take a leap of faith.
Post 'Pink,' I figured out which direction I want my career to take.
Maintaining pay parity is very important, and I am in total favour of it.
I keep saying this: that I'll get married when I am ready to have a kid. I won't have a kid without getting married for sure.
Either I choose to behave or live a life of someone else, or I choose to be myself and live the life the way I want.
I never regret or sit back and think that I shouldn't have said something. There are a lot of people who tell me that you shouldn't say this or that or should keep quiet, and I really think that I can either be true to my conscience or can live a fake life by staying quiet.
Who said that looking good is not a task? There are so many girls with a well maintained body, but will they be able to walk the beachside in front of the camera wearing a swimsuit? Carrying your body in a certain manner to look sexy is also an art.
As an actress, I am happy that people are offering me good roles and I am earning success critically and commercially.
'X-Men' or 'Avengers!' I want to be a mutant or an Avenger.
I was told, 'You are not beautiful and glamorous enough,' 'Oh no, you're too serious an actor...' 'You're not good enough an actor,' 'You are not so and so's daughter.' I was even told, 'You are not a big, marketable name.'
As an individual, I have no fear of failure... I think that translates on-screen in my performances.
Nobody is going to keep giving me chances even after two-three of my films don't do well.
It is not a shocker to me that a film went out of my hands, not because I was not credible, but because I was not so-and-so's daughter or sister or dating so-and-so.
I want to be a star. It doesn't mean that I'll act any less. My performance will be at par, but I want to be a star. I want the audience to spend their hard-earned money on my tickets without doubting. And when that day comes, I'll believe I'm a star.
There are many projects that come an actor's way, and one cannot say yes to all of them. Reasons of saying no vary all the time, but for me, it has never been on the pretext of not wanting to work with 'a particular actor' ever! I would never do that.
I have been following badminton for quite some time, and I know most of the Indian players personally.
Telugu cinema can really spoil you. They treat you like a queen. As soon as you get down from your van, they will all stand up, and they won't sit till you have passed by. I love that attention and miss that.
As long as I get to do the kind of work I want to do, I am okay with being a Z-lister.
I can't suddenly say that because I am acting opposite Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, and Varun Dhawan... I should get the same salary as theirs. Because I won't get the audience to the theatres as much as they will.
It helps me rejuvenate when I use my energy in different directions and then come back to acting.
I'm very good at manipulation.
I don't believe in poking nose in other people's matters, but when it comes to matters related to me or something that affects me, I will not shy away for saying something I believe.
