Taapsee Pannu: “I am happy with my image…”

Taapsee Pannu has had quite a year but when she’s quizzed about being seen as the quintessential “girl next door”, it seems she’s very happy being thought of like that.

“… I AM the girl-next door. I keep insisting that I am a very average, Indian girl. There is probably nothing diva-ish about me. The only aspirational factor that I have is the fact that I am normal and it’s okay to be normal. It is okay to be average. In today’s day and age, we have all experienced that it is difficult to accept being average. Everyone wants to be a little different, have an edge over others or want to be out-of-the-box. Normalcy is underrated. For me, believing I am very normal and the regular, girl-next-door helps me to build an image for the roles I do. Hence, my audience also relates to me. I am happy with my image among my viewers,” said the actress, in a recent interview with Box Office India.

On being accepted now despite being an outsider somewhat before, Pannu also divulged, “The industry has been very warm towards me. It was very clear that people would not suddenly take notice of me. Even now, people are saying let’s see what she does next. I knew I would have to pass many tests and that I would not hit the bull’s eye with just one film. I have to hit many of them. I was in a very sorted position. But one thing is sure, that being an outsider, you have to consistently prove yourself more than most others. And if you do that, if you’re good, then they will receive you well. If you’re talented, you will get noticed. That’s for sure.”

Pannu was last seen on screen in ‘Manmarziyaan’ with Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal.