Hit Me Baby One More Time

What sets TAAPSEE PANNU apart from the rest is her candour. SUMAN SHARMA enjoys her time with the bold and beautiful actor

- Suman Sharma

Taapsee Pannu is wildly confident and yet she doesn’t have the airs of a star. She’s always exuded the kind of persona that you’d associate with a self assured artiste. She takes great pride in the fact that she’s carved out a niche in the big, bad world of entertainment all on her own. No godfathers and no favours. She likes to walk tall and yet she’s not a hostile firebrand. If there’s a feisty Pink in her oeuvre, there’s also the ultra-glam blockbuster Judwaa 2 in her record. She can dabble with the martial arts inspired Naam Shabana as well look smouldering in a bikini. She’s not the dame who needs a rescue. She’s the fighter who looks sexy in her combat. With plenty of hits under her belt, Taapsee is the fresh face of both grit and glamour.

YOU SEEM TO HAVE LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT. WAS IT TO WEAR A BIKINI IN JUDWAA 2?

Wearing a bikini is not something new for me. I wear one on my holidays. But this is the first time I’ve worn a bikini on screen. (Smiles) I had to stand next to Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez, which is why I prepared my body for it. I joined the gym the day I signed the film. Before that I used to play squash and do martial arts to keep myself fit.

HOW IS YOUR EQUATION WITH VARUN DHAWAN?

He’s a genuinely humble person. He goes out of his way to make his co-stars, even technicians, feel comfortable on the sets. He’s always ready to learn.

AND JACQUELINE?

Jacqueline is smart, positive, always smiling. I learnt from her that whether your day is good or bad, if you have a smile on your face, the positivity attracts people to you.

HOW HAS LIFE CHANGED AFTER PINK?