Women are tired of being portrayed as dumb and stupid on screen: Taapsee Pannu

"Baby", "Pink" and now "Badla" are validation for Taapsee Pannu who contends that Bollywood is now looking at the dawn of the new age of commercial cinema, one where the concept of "no-brainer" will not be relevant anymore. Pannu says the success of "Badla", which did the business of over Rs 130 crore at the box office, is a testament to the fact that audiences are moving beyond the usual tropes of commercial cinema.

"A lot of waking up has happened after 'Badla'. I feel that audiences are now ready for something that is not done before, something unconventional. The concept of not taking your brain to the theatre is slowly going out of the window. People want to take the brain to the theatre," the actor told PTI in an interview.

The 31-year-old actor also offers a new definition for the term 'commercial cinema'. "It's a good time to release a film which will just keep you glued to the screen for two hours, will give you enough entertainment for you to be involved in the film. It will not have the usual comedy, it will not have the song and dance in it.

"But yes, it will entertain you for sure and will keep you involved for two hours. You will not feel bored or that you're not understanding what's happening. And that's the definition of the new age commercial cinema." Pannu is currently promoting her next project, "Game Over", which is being touted as the country's first home-invasion thriller. In the film, the actor portrays Swapna, a wheelchair confined video game programmer who battles a home invasion. She would not call the film a "damsel in distress" story, but a concept she has consistently tried to avoid. 

"I watched such roles and I couldn't identify with them at all, or couldn't believe the existence of such characters because in my life, yes, I've seen women who probably are not that vocal. Yes, there are women who are probably not obviously confident. But it's not like they are dumb.  "They will they have their set of reasons to be a certain way, but they're not dumb and stupid. So I couldn't identify with most of those roles and that is why I didn't do it. Especially now, when women are venturing out into big positions and careers," she adds.

Pannu says women are also fed up of being portrayed as "dumb and stupid" on screen. "I think a large part of our audience also comprises of female, and they are getting a little sick and tired of watching them being portrayed as stupid and dumb. I think now it's time that we can also be the central point of a story. So that is changing."  

The actor also says the audience will welcome a film with open arms if it offers them something different and unconventional.  "If you're giving them something new, I think they'll give it a chance. I've seen the similar stuff so many years, that now this sudden bent towards Over The Top platform (digital) is also because of that, because they haven't seen that stuff. And they're getting all that OTT and that is why they are drawn towards that." 

"Game Over", directed by Ashwin Saravanan, is scheduled to be released on June 15.