Taapsee Pannu talks films, business plans, and her work on women's issues

Films never figured in actor Taapsee Pannu’s plans — until cinema happened to her, with acclaimed films like Pink and Naam Shabana now to her name. Her original career plan was to get a business degree and become an entrepreneur. Though she has veered off that track, Taapsee might still do something in that field.

The actor got rave reviews for her portrayal of a young city girl fighting for justice in Pink and, more recently, her performance as a spy in Naam Shabana was greatly appreciated. She says, “I enjoy acting. But I must confess that films made a back-door entry into my life. I wanted to do my MBA in marketing and then concentrate on startups. I already have a wedding planner company and I have a couple of more startup ideas in mind. Slowly, one after the other, I mean to start working on them. Now, I guess I’m at a level where I can start all these businesses even without an MBA, as I have the resources to do that.”

Of late, Taapsee has been in the news for being vocal about women’s issues. Asked about it, the actor is quick to reply, “I’ve always been vocal about issues concerning women. In fact, I have been doing things for a long time. It never got highlighted earlier the way it is now. That’s the difference.”

Talking about the social cause she is associated with, Taapsee says, “I have been attached with an NGO that works for rape victims. I’m also associated with an NGO that works for girl child education. For the past few years, I have been sponsoring 10-20 girl children, as this is one issue that I strongly feel about. I also want to really push for gender equality. I would continue doing all these in the coming years, regardless of me being an actor or not.”