Taapsee Pannu is one of Indian cinema’s finest actresses, known for her versatility across genres. However, she was among the first Bollywood actresses to venture into the action-spy thriller genre and excel at it. Her performances in Pink, Baby, and Naam Shabana showcased her dedication to action-packed roles. Naam Shabana, which completes eight years today, was a gripping spy thriller where she performed intense stunts and action sequences with finesse. The film follows Shabana, who is recruited by an intelligence agency and undergoes intense training to eliminate a deadly arms dealer. Taapsee delivered a career-defining performance as a female star in this genre that left everyone in awe.
Even Akshay Kumar, who shared the screen with her in the film, praised her for how she pulls off action scenes like no one else, “Taapsee did a tremendous job in ‘Pink’. I saw her doing the fights in ‘Baby’ and the kind of action she did, I have seen no female do it with so much perfection. It was very inspiring for me to see her. A lot of inspiration for ‘Naam Shabana’ came from the way Taapsee performed in ‘Baby.'”
Taapsee Pannu spoke on how Baby’s success led to Naam Shabana’s creation, “The response that my character received in Baby made the filmmakers plan an entire film based on Shabana aka Meera. Frankly, there was no sequel or prequel.”
Taapsee revealed she pioneered the genre but won’t revisit it to avoid spoiling its impact, adding, “Actually, action spy thrillers were not in like fashion. Now, everybody wants to do a spy thriller. I did it so many years ago that now if I do it again, it’s like very weird, why are you repeating yourself? I’ve done something which was so remarkable back then that I don’t want to touch it and spoil it again.”
Talking about her upcoming project, Taapsee Pannu returns to the action-thriller genre with Gandhari, where she plays a mother fighting to rescue her abducted child. Performing all stunts herself, she ensures a raw, authentic portrayal of a mother’s fierce instincts. Releasing this year, the film promises an intense, emotional, and gripping cinematic experience.
