‘It is better to speak out and live with a spine'

Taapsee Pannu is ready to deliver another hard-hitting film, Thappad, which tackles domestic violence. In conversation with Giridhar Jha, the feisty actress talks about the movie, her firebrand image and why celebrities should not refrain from speaking out. Excerpts:

It is almost a decade since you started your career in films. How do you look back at your journey so far?

It has been a terrific journey for a person who never wanted to act. I never thought I had anything in me to become an actor, I was never in awe of the film world. I just stumbled on it and learnt through experiments. Now, I’m loving it! I have never been addicted to my profession because of its money or glamour. The day I stop getting exciting roles, I will walk out of the industry. It is of paramount importance for me to get happiness from what I am doing.

Any butterflies in the stomach ahead of Thappad’s release?

There are some films which are beyond butterflies as far as box-office success is concerned. Thappad is one of them. I always wanted to work in a movie based on domestic violence, an issue which was always swept under the carpet in and outside the film industry. This despite the fact that three out of five people in our society are affected by it. I chose to do a mainstream movie to bring this subject to the fore. With the kind of positive messages I have been getting, it seems that my objective will have been fulfilled by the time Thappad hits the screen. And if God be kind enough, it will also attain commercial success.

Do you think that the industry avoided this issue because it is patriarchal?