We must stop taking ourselves too seriously. And never depend completely on that one profession we have set our hearts on. If something is not working out, we must look elsewhere, says TAAPSEE PANNU in an exclusive interview with YoursPositively
I have seen extreme highs and lows in my life. And you can say both came simultaneously! In fact, the high point came most unexpectedly at the beginning of my career in the South film industry. My debut Telugu film, Jhummandi Naadam, was a super hit, and my life turned around from being a girl with no aspirations to becoming an actress, to a star!
Of course, I was surprised and thrilled, but if you ask me how I reacted to this, I would say I was more surprised than anything else. Like I said acting was never my goal. So I was neither euphoric nor were there any celebrations as such. Of course, I was thankful to God, and for the realisation that acting is what I should be doing. I just felt lucky that people plan so much to reach where I had reached, but I did it without any planning whatsoever.
But then came the downfall, and it came as swiftly! Several of my following films flopped or didn’t fare too well and I was quickly labelled ‘taboo’ and one who brought bad luck to a film. That hit me! New to the industry, alone in Hyderabad with hardly any friends, I was confused. My thoughts flew from going back to Delhi to do my MBA or hanging on in an industry, which had suddenly become so hostile. I tried to disconnect from these questions, which constantly ran in my head, but it didn’t help.
Then I tried to distract myself forcefully. I reached out to my friends I had made there and went out with them to distract myself from the thoughts crowding my head. I didn’t want to discuss films, but since most of them were from the industry the talk would eventually veer in that direction.
I won’t deny these forceful distractions and diversions did help to ease the pain. One thing I learnt, however, was not to try and calm myself, because the more you think about remaining calm, the more agitated you become. The answer to dealing with a low phase is just diverting yourself forcefully.
Since, I didn’t want to stress my family back home in Delhi, I decided to call my sister to Hyderabad. My sister being with me was a tremendous support. Celebrity or not, family support matters. We would sit and discuss which path I should take next. Should I go back to Delhi and do my MBA, as I had planned originally? It’s always a good idea to think about something else.
This dual experience taught me how to deal with the ups and downs that come with the profession. So when I got a call for my debut Hindi film Chashme Baddoor, I was more prepared for the unpredictability of this profession. Fortunately the film did well, but this time, I did not rush into signing films. I decided to wait and then decide on my second film and the next and the next! This worked well for me.
The last three years have been good. But even today, I never really celebrate if my movie does well. I feel happy when others send me congratulatory messages and when my team sends me a cake or a gift. I thank them but don’t get too excited. And if I am disappointed with something, I just distract myself from negative thoughts. I have learnt to take both success and failure with a pinch of salt.
What I would like to mention is that we must stop taking ourselves too seriously. And never depend completely on that one profession we have set our hearts on. If something is not working out, we must look elsewhere and occupy ourselves with something else.
That’s the reason I started my event management company, The Wedding Factory, and invested in a Badminton League. Remember, nothing is the be all and end all of life.
Taapsee Pannu is an award-winning film actress who has acted in several critically acclaimed Hindi and South Indian films. She has won a Filmfare Award and has appeared in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list since 2018. Among her well-known films are ‘Pink’, ‘Badla’, ‘Mission Mangal’ and ‘Judwaa’. She was a successful model before she decided to act in films.
Geety Sahgal was a former Senior Assistant Editor at ‘Screen’, where she wrote extensively on films and show biz for several years.
Very interesting and positive viewpoint! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this 🙂
Very interesting and positive viewpoint!
Thoroughly Enjoyed reading this 🙂
One of my favourite actresses ..nice to read about her
Interesting story and very well written. Good to see the other side of the glamour world.
I agree with all your thoughts .
Actors hold an image which is bigger than life .We ought to remember they are humans too. Your sharing will help all those who face the same in their careers in different fields
Success and failures are the ups and downs of any profession. All the thoughts which you had to deal with are very natural to anybody working in any field .
Career is a serious affair but it should not be taken too seriously . If things start going wrong then we should take to alternate paths . Not to get disheartened is the key and support from family is equally required. They are the ones who will be there anytime everywhere .
Hindu Dharma stresses to be in equanimity in both the situations of success and failure, joy and grief. Neither should success get to our head nor should failure destroy our life .
It is LIFE after all which needs to be celebrated ,
It is good to see you in the industry . Sincerity in your work is seen in the characters you play .
I have seen most of your movies . But the movie -Pink and Game Over were engrossing till the end and got me thinking I was really scared after seeing these movies The grit of the character you play holds the story till the end .
Alternatives are important in life. In the case of this beauty with brains, she won over negative thoughts by diverting her mind n energies into academics And she created secondary source of income by investing in wedding planning and badminton. She was intellegent and bold enough to seek the support if family and friends….Alas Sushant could have had the same thought process!!