Love me or hate me, I'm here to stay: Tapsee

'Anando Brahma', which hits the screens on August 18, has a lot of buzz around its concept of humans scaring ghosts.  Taapsee Pannu in this interview talks about what drew her to the movie, working with director Mahi, life after 'Pink' and 'Naam Shabnam', and more.

Didn't you feel it routine to do another horror film after 'Ganga'?

'Anando Brahma' is not a horror, but a horror-comedy.  It's more fun than being a horror.  Horror and comedy, in my opinion, are two of the most entertaining genres you can have.  

After 'Ganga', I didn't want to try the genre once again as I felt that that it's difficult to get bigger.  But it's the point of view from which 'Anando Brahma' is narrated that drew me to it.  As someone who doesn't believe in ghosts and gods, Mahi has an atypical perspective.  The craziness shows itself in the film.

It seems you have been very actively taking interest in the movie.  Why so?

I have never shown this level of involvement right from the concept to promos in any other Southern movie.  Even during the scripting stage, I would make suggestions whenever I felt something was not logical or was regular, etc.  I thought I will not be able to judge the things properly as, unlike Hindi, Telugu is not my language.  But I could. We worked like a team.

With so much of enthusiasm for 'AB', can we say that this is one of your best roles ever?  

I have done much better roles.  In 'AB', I am playing a very ordinary role with no newness to the character.  What makes it unique is the concept.  I don't sell a movie by making false claims. 

You will enjoy 'AB' at the conceptual level.  Not just with respect to this film, but even otherwise, I want my audience to believe that it's their money's worth to see me in a movie.

Can you tell us more about the characters?

Each character suffers from some disability.  A split personality, a person with night-blindness, a character with a weak heart who can't react too emotionally, etc.  That's why they are not scared by the ghost.  

You must have been offered many female-centric roles after 'Pink'.  Isn't it?  But you went on to do a 'Ghazi'.  Why so?

I was offered many.  But not all of them were feasible.  I did 'Ghazi' because of the script, not because my role was very special or something.  

Do you consider yourself a star heroine?

I feel more like a struggler.  I am struggling to get a good script.  In public perception, a heroine is a star only if she acts opposite star heroes.  But what about heroines who headline the cast of a film?  

People nowadays are ready to see (novel cinema).  You just have to take the risk of doing it.  

From being a commercial heroine down South, you are now remembered for 'Pink'.  How has the journey been like?

The media is showing little more attention towards me, writing about my next films, my activities.  As a person, I have grown in confidence with every film I have done in the last three years.  I will do films that I want to do.  In the initial years of my career, I didn't know where my work was taking me.  I just did them.  I was not enjoying them, nor were my audience.  There came a day when I wanted to forget about being a star heroine, a high paid actress, etc and just concentrate on what makes me happy.  

I have taken a risk in Tollywood for the first time.  After seeing the result of 'AB', I will take a call on my other offers here.  

And Bollywood has been a higher pedestal for you.  

I don't understand why they think doing Bollywood is some sort of promotion.  I don't see it that way.  A lot of Tollywood films are earning more than Bollywood films.  It's actually more difficult there.  If a lot of more people are watching Bollywood movies, more money should be coming in.  Right?

Shah Rukh Khan has been trying to do different kind of stuff, but it's becoming difficult to crack what the audience wants.

I am going to do movies even after marriage.  I won't be getting married anytime soon, by the way, as Bollywood is making movies that can do done by a married woman, a mother, etc. I will stop acting only when I get bored with films.

Have you worked out to come down in weight?

I lost weight once I started doing martial arts for 'Naam Shabana'.  I am not thin.  I have become very fit.  

What is on your mind after being trolled recently?

Love me or hate me, you can't ignore me.  Social media comes with its pluses and minuses.  I previously used to block my abusers.  I have stopped doing it after a while. 

When I was trolled recently (Taapsee found fault with the way her first movie, directed by K Raghavendra Rao, showed her navel being hit with a coconut), I knew the issue won't be remembered after a few days.