She might have made appearances in Dongaata (2015) and Ghazi (2017), but the last full-fledged act of Taapsee in Telugu cinema was the 2013 film Sahasam. In fact, after she made a mark in Bollywood with the successful Pink, many assumed that she would never return, especially since she hasn’t done a film in Telugu in a long time. Many also assumed that she had become arrogant and didn’t value South cinema anymore.
“They say actresses come here for money, to work with big heroes and then leave. But here I am, at a stage when I am being offered great films in Bollywood, and when several of my contemporaries stopped doing films in the South after they got such opportunities. I came back to do a small film with no star hero, purely on my gut feeling and interest in the script. In spite of seeing all this, people tend to focus on the one thing that seems negative,” says the actress, who feels Hyderabad and Telugu cinema are like home to her.
Elaborating on the same, she shares, “I might reside in Mumbai now, and may not be seen in Telugu films often, but the sense of belonging that I feel here is not there in other industries. I have done maximum number of films here and know a lot of people in this industry. In fact, nowhere else do I have friends and that’s why both my earlier films, Pink and Naam Shabana had special premieres in Hyderabad, a day ahead of release.”
So, what has kept her away from Tollywood, and why has she signed Anandobrahma? “I haven’t been doing Telugu films because nothing new is being offered. I have reached a stage where I want to be excited as I wake up to shoot every day. This film has done that for me. I decided to accept it regardless of how big or small the cast is,” explains Taapsee, adding, “I have been with the project since it was conceptualised.”
When asked if it is difficult to get something different and new to work on, Taapsee thoughtfully says, “What’s difficult is gathering courage to do such a film. We have been taught from the beginning that unless and until you work with big names, your film won’t have value. Now, the result of this film will tell me if my conviction is right.”
