From fearless roles to quiet mornings in Odense, Denmark, the actor on craft, courage, and choosing herself.
Audiences know her from her award-winning performance in Aadukalam (Tamil, 2011), powerhouse monologues in Pink, Thappad, Dunki, and, more recently, the unhinged love story that began with Haseena Dilruba. The multifaceted Taapsee Pannu is also an ambassador for beauty and fashion brands such as Dove Hair Care and Vogue Eyewear, as well as a cultural ambassador for the city of Odense, Denmark.
On screen, Pannu’s characters are a dynamic force, showcasing her range through sharp dialogue delivery, quicksilver reactions, and emotional honesty. In person, she speaks with the same excited cadence as she chats about the films that challenged her and the work ethic that sustains her momentum. While between projects, Pannu sat down with Khabar from her home in Dubai to reflect on her evolution in the film industry and the things that keep her grounded.
A relentless performer
Pannu fell in love with performing during her first Kathak dance recital as a child. After a brief stint studying engineering and then modeling, she realized that performing was her true calling. She debuted in 2010 with Jhummandi Naadam (Telugu) and gained instant stardom with her award-winning performance in Aadukalam (Tamil).
One of her most celebrated roles came in Pink, the courtroom drama.
“When I began in the South, I was just interested in getting that one role that would make people take notice of me,” she recalls.
Quick on the heels of that success came the hustle to stay relevant. Without formal training, Pannu learned the ropes on the job. “Advice came from every direction, even when I didn’t want it—not just about how to act, but also about how to select films,” she says. Early on, she believed she needed to work with A-list actors to get noticed.
Her success in southern cinema opened doors to Bollywood with Chashme Buddoor (Hindi, 2013), written by Sai Paranjpye, who had scripted the original film in the 1980s. Despite its mixed reception, the film was a box-office success. However, Pannu still struggled to land leading roles. “I did not want to get lost or become just another name in commercial mainstream cinema,” she says. “The industry is so big.”
Not disheartened—and still believing that she needed validation by association—Pannu began taking smaller roles in Bollywood, “even if it meant a seven-minute role in Baby (2015).” Audience response to her performance in Pink (2016), however, marked a turning point. She realized that while a strong cast matters, a good director makes all the difference. “No matter how well you’ve performed, that doesn’t mean the film will work,” she explains. “Even if the script is [imperfect], a good director will make sure it still looks good.”
That insight reshaped how she approached scripts, though the struggle to find roles that truly showcased her range continued. “Don’t give me something that’s a cakewalk,” she says. “Give me something that challenges me, something I’m excited about.” If her presence in a film did not meaningfully impact audience engagement, she preferred to walk away. “The audience can tell if I’m excited about a script or not,” she adds. “That makes all the difference.”
That philosophy has paid off, bringing her movies such as Thappad, Game Over, Mission Mangal, Badla, Dunki, Dobaaraa, Haseena Dilruba, and more. While some received mixed reviews, most found box office success.
A champion of feminism in the film industry
Many of Pannu’s recent projects address social pressures, cultural biases, and gender dynamics, particularly in films like Thappad and Pink. “Traditionally, there have been more testosterone-filled films,” she observes. “But in recent years, we’ve seen more feminist stories. Feminism is not about being better than someone else, it’s about coexisting.”
While many of her films are made for the big screen, several have found wider audiences on streaming platforms, reaching viewers outside India with far greater cultural diversity. “We see India as a whole,” she says. “We’re trying to break a vicious cycle of supply and demand. We want audiences to see the story.”
A still from Thappad, in which Pannu delivered another haunting performance.
She notes that female actors still struggle to shift audience expectations away from escapism and to-ard storytelling. “There is competition while we’re working,” she says, “but if even one female-led film with a feminist story succeeds, we’re all happy. It paves the way for 10 more.”
The emotional drain of becoming the character . . . and then unlearning it
Pannu remains keenly aware of how audiences respond to her performances, especially given the haunting characters she has portrayed. One interaction following Thappad left her momentarily speechless. When a woman approached her and said, “That was my story.” Pannu recalls not knowing whether the right response was “thank you” or “sorry.”
More than 15 years into her career, Pannu reflects on having seen every side of the business—from approaching directors about projects she believed in to being written out of scripts when creative decisions changed. Early on, she admits, she was afraid to disclose injuries for fear of losing roles.
One of her career highlights came when Amitabh Bachchan praised her performance during the filming of Pink. Even so, she believes the hustle never ends. “No matter how established you are, you still have to prove yourself,” she says.
Filming each role, she adds, is emotionally and physically draining, often involving nonstop shooting over several weeks. To prepare, she says she sometimes has to “brainwash myself into the character’s skin.” When a film wraps, she needs time to decompress and consciously unlearn the character before moving on. “It’s not a switch,” she says. “It takes time.”
Finding normalcy and more in her home in Odense, Denmark
Pannu thrives on challenge and embraces what comes her way with enthusiasm. The pandemic, she says, taught her not to plan too far ahead. A self-described French-fry-loving, saree-preferring coffee drinker, she finds self-care in working out and in stepping away from the hubbub of Mumbai—or even her home in Dubai.
In contrast to the constant recognition and outsourced errands that come with life in India and the UAE, her home in Odense, Denmark, offers a rare sense of normalcy. There, with her husband, retired Danish badminton star Mathias Boe, she can move about freely without being mobbed by fans. In the bicycle-friendly city, even something as simple as buying fresh bread becomes a leisurely morning ride.
She speaks enthusiastically about remodeling their 100-year-old home in Odense, blending traditional Indian decor with artifacts from her travels. She’s learning to garden, manage the large property, and adapt to cold weather. Embracing Denmark’s do-it-yourself culture, she says, has given her a deeper appreciation of her own privileges. “Anything outside of India teaches you a lot about yourself,” she reflects. “It reminds me that I have a life beyond acting—and that helps me come back with fresh energy.”
Denmark, she notes, is not new territory. She explored the country during her decade-long courtship with Boe. “People still confuse Denmark with other countries,” she laughs. Her affection for Odense is un-mistakable. “It has the kind of visuals I imagined while growing up—they’re actually real. It looks so perfect that even Photoshop and VFX can’t replicate it.”
As Odense’s newly appointed cultural ambassador, she hopes to bring Indian festivals to the city, confident that both the Indian diaspora and local residents will embrace them.
Reflecting on her journey, Pannu says she was “ruthlessly competitive” as a child. Today, she would tell her 10-year-old self that winning matters less than what one experiences along the way. “Enjoy every second,” she says, acknowledging that goals inevitably evolve. To her 18-year-old self, she would offer a different piece of advice: “Choose yourself before choosing what others will think of you.”
Odense, Denmark, is one of Pannu’s hometowns these days, where she lives with her husband, retired Danish badminton star Mathias Boe. The actor is also a cultural ambassador for the town. (Photos: Benjamin Dalby, VisitOdense)
Pannu is now looking ahead to her upcoming Netflix release Gandhari, an action-packed revenge thriller, slated for 2025. She remains tight-lipped about other completed projects, noting only that some are “still part of the marketing strategy around how and when they’ll be released.”
And, in true filmi style, that cliffhanger closed Pannu’s conversation with Khabar.
Nandita Godbole is an entrepreneur, cookbook author, and freelance writer on culture, travel, and more.