"Cast actors for their craft, not for their social media followers," Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu at ABP Network’s Ideas of India 2025
- Sub Editor
- Feb 21
- 3 min read
“If someone calls me a ‘sasti’ actress, it says more about their upbringing than mine”
“No actress should be asked, ‘Who is your hero?’"
“I never thought I’d last 15 years in Bollywood”
Celebrated Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu inspired the audience at ABP Network’s Ideas of India 2025 with her fearless responses to comments made about her by fellow actor and Member of Lok Sabha, Kangana Ranaut. She said, “Yes, I am a ‘sasti’ actress because I don’t charge that much. I deliver quality work, and everyone knows she is a brilliant actress, but if you are using such words, that reflects your upbringing, not mine. If someone is giving me their time, I make sure I don’t waste it. Time is currency here.”
Known for her versatility and powerful on-screen presence, Taapsee Pannu shared her views on the power of storytelling by adding, “Theatre is a community experience, while OTT is more personal—one-on-one. Risky films now find an audience somewhere in the world. I don’t want to hear that a film has a low budget just because it is women-centric. Why keep it only on OTT? That narrative in Bollywood needs to change.”
Sharing her perspectives in the session, ‘Fearless and Feisty – Telling Powerful Stories,’ Taapsee remarked on the popularity of social media, “Don't judge talent by their social media following. Cast actors in films because of their craft, talent, and ideology; not just because they have a huge follower count. I spend more time nurturing my talent than staying on social media. Trolling doesn’t affect me much.”
Talking about being a woman in the film industry, she added, “Acting is an insecure profession. Everyone wants a bigger role but no actress should be asked, ‘Who is your hero?’ after signing a film. I want to work towards that change. When I started, I thought I wouldn't survive as a heroine for more than 5-6 years. Now, 15 years later, I look back at my journey with pride.”
Reflecting on her journey and the challenges of being in the public eye, Taapsee shared, "I never followed trends; I tried to set my own. Things have changed, and I have changed with them. Celebrities are always soft targets. No one was interested in my husband because he is neither a cricketer nor a businessman, and I never felt the need to share my private life with everyone, even when I got married."
ABP Network’s Ideas of India 2025, centred on the theme ‘Humanity’s Next Frontier’, will bring together thought leaders and innovators to explore the challenges and opportunities in India’s ascendance in a rapidly changing world. In the face of climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and technological advancements such as AI, the summit delved into India’s role as both an ancient civilisation and a demographic powerhouse in shaping the future. The two-day summit brought together a confluence of ideas from global thought leaders, intellectuals, and change-makers, covering transformative possibilities in science, medicine, social contracts, and global leadership, with experts from diverse fields offering bold visions of a better, more sustainable world for all.
About ABP Network
An innovative media and content creation company, ABP Network is a credible voice in the broadcast and digital sphere, with a multi-language portfolio of news channels reaching 535 million individuals in India across YouTube, websites, apps, and social media platforms. ABP Studios, which comes under the purview of ABP Creations – the content innovation arm of the network – creates, produces, and licences original, path-breaking content outside of news. ABP Network is a group entity of ABP, which was incorporated nearly 100 years ago and continues to reign as a leading media company.
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