I know the route I need to take'

Taapsee Pannu, who’s just returned from Toronto, where she attended her first international film festival, couldn’t be happier about the appreciation coming her way for her performance in Manmarziyaan.

The actress who plays the mercurial, self-obsessed Rumi, confesses that she wasn’t sure how audiences would perceive her character. “She is so into herself, so sure of everything that she doesn’t realise how she affects the lives of those around her,” she says, adding, “People are wondering about the physical attraction between my character and Vicky Kaushal’s. But, you see, our cinema tends to overlook how important physical compatibility is in a relationship. Rumi shares a great physical rapport with her boyfriend, and she celebrates it at every opportunity.” 

Taapsee adds that she’s all for experimenting with cinema’s idea of a leading lady. “For some time now I’ve been trying to figure out where I belong in the film industry. After Pink, Naam Shabana, Mulk and Manmarziyaan, I know the route that I need to take. In fact, Mulk is still in theatres, and it has become a talking point,” she says.