Tapasee Pannu[1] (born 1 August 1987), professionally known asTaapsee Pannu, is an Indian actress who primarily works inHindi andTelugu films. She has received twoFilmfare Awards and aFilmfare OTT Award.
After a brief career in modelling, Pannu made her acting debut with the 2010 Telugu filmJhummandi Naadam and appeared in the 2011 Tamil filmAadukalam. She entered Hindi cinema withDavid Dhawan's comedyChashme Baddoor (2013). Following several leading roles in Telugu and Tamil films, Pannu gained wider recognition in Hindi cinema with her performances in the spy thrillerBaby (2015) and the courtroom dramaPink (2016), both of which were critically and commercially successful.
In addition to acting, Pannu co-owns the event management company The Wedding Factory and the badminton franchisePune 7 Aces, which competes in thePremier Badminton League. She is married to former badminton playerMathias Boe.[2]
After graduating, Pannu worked as asoftware engineer.[12][13] She became a full-time model after she auditioned and was selected forChannel V's 2008 talent showGet Gorgeous, which eventually led her to acting.[14] Pannu has been appearing in numerous print and television commercials and won several titles during her modelling days, including "Pantaloons Femina Miss Fresh Face" and "Safi Femina Miss Beautiful Skin" at the 2008Femina Miss India contest.[12][15]
Pannu made her cinematic debut in 2010 withK. Raghavendra Rao's Telugu romantic musicalJhummandi Naadam.[18] She played the role of the daughter of aUSA–based millionaire who comes to India to research traditionalTelugu music.[19] Pannu received three more offers in Telugu prior to the film's release.[20] Her next filmAadukalam (2011), marked her debut inTamil cinema. She played the role of anAnglo-Indian girl falling in love with a rural man played byDhanush.[21] The film, set in the backdrop ofMadurai, revolves aroundcockfights. It was critically acclaimed and proceeded to win sixNational Film Awards at the58th National Film Awards. Speaking about her role, a reviewer fromSify said: "Debutant Taapsee is a promising find and she suits the character of an Anglo-Indian girl to the T".[22] She returned to theTelugu film industry withVastadu Naa Raju (2011), oppositeVishnu Manchu.[23] She made a foray intoMalayalam cinema later that year, withDoubles (2011), oppositeMammootty andNadiya Moidu.[24] Paresh C Palicha ofRediff commented: "Taapsee Pannu as Saira Banu, whose entry into the scene becomes the bone of contention between the siblings, has nothing noteworthy to do".[25]
Pannu played a short role in her next releaseMr. Perfect (2011) alongsidePrabhas andKajal Aggarwal.[26] She starred in a high-budget film titledVeera (2011), oppositeRavi Teja andKajal Aggarwal, which received mixed reviews.[27] She was next seen in her second Tamil filmVandhaan Vendraan, that also received mixed reviews from critics and did not fare well commercially.[28] Her next film wasKrishna Vamsi'sMogudu oppositeGopichand. She garnered critical acclaim for her performance.[29] She worked on several Telugu films at this time includingGundello Godari,[30]Daruvu, andShadow.[31][32] In subsequent years, Pannu discussed being labelled an "unlucky charm" due to all of her films failing commercially.[33]
Following an absence from films for a year, she made a significant advancement in her career due to her supporting role inNeeraj Pandey's spy thrillerBaby (2015), as undercover agent Shabana Khan.[38] Later, she had two Tamil releases, the horror comedyMuni 3, oppositeRaghava Lawrence andAishwarya R. Dhanush'sVai Raja Vai, which featured her in a special appearance.[39]
While filming forRunning Shaadi, Pannu was approached byShoojit Sircar for the courtroom dramaPink. She was "curious and excited" about the subject as it had not "been dealt with head-on yet in mainstream cinema".[40] The film, which also starredAmitabh Bachchan,Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang, followed three girls who fight a case against a politician's nephew for molestation. The film and Pannu's performance received positive reviews.[41]Rajeev Masand noted that Pannu, along with other two ladies, "deliver natural performances as strong but emotionally vulnerable women, without a hint of affectation".[42] With worldwide revenue of₹1.08 billion (US$13 million),Pink emerged as a major commercial success.[43] Pannu later said that the film proved to be a turning point in her career, and earned her theIIFA Woman of the Year award, in addition to her first nomination for theIIFA Award for Best Actress.[40][44]
Pannu's first release of 2017 was the romantic comedyRunning Shaadi oppositeAmit Sadh, where she played a Punjabi girl who helps couples in eloping to get married. The film received mixed critical reception but Pannu received unanimous praise for her performance.[45] Following this, she starred in the naval war drama,The Ghazi Attack based on the mysterious sinking ofPNS Ghazi during theIndo-Pakistani War of 1971.[46] The film was shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi and performed modestly at the box-office.[47] Pannu reprised her role in a spin-off to her filmBaby, titledNaam Shabana. Pandey noticed that Pannu's seven-eight minute sequence in the role of special agent Shabana Khan in Baby was well received after which he "decided to give the story an arc".[48] For the role, she trained in different forms of mixed martial arts likeKūdō andKrav Maga.[48] Both the film and Pannu's performance met with mixed response with Sarita A. Tanwar ofDaily News and Analysis noting that she is "fantastic in every scene" while Udita Jhunjhunwala ofMint felt that she is "hardly likable" in.[49][50] Pannu's subsequent roles were of a ghost in the Telugu horror comedy filmAnando Brahma and the protagonist's girlfriend in the action-comedyJudwaa 2.[51] The latter, which was a reboot of the1997 namesake film, proved to be commercial success, earning over₹2 billion (US$24 million).[52] Despite disliking the film, Shubhra Gupta ofThe Indian Express found Pannu to be the "real surprise" among the ensemble adding that she "makes the most" of an otherwise thinly written part.[53]
Dil Juunglee (2018), co-starringSaqib Saleem, was Pannu's first release of the year. It failed to create an impact among the critics and the audience.[54] Her followup wasShaad Ali's sports dramaSoorma which was based on the life offield hockey playerSandeep Singh (played byDiljit Dosanjh).[55] Despite mixed reviews,Soorma became a financial success.[56] Pannu then depicted a lawyer inAnubhav Sinha's legal dramaMulk. Pannu said that the film presents true patriotism and nationalism without taking sides.[57] Pannu's performance was praised with Nandini Ramnath ofScroll.in calling her one of the "strong turns" of the film;[58] the film earned her a first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics).[59]
After playing the role of an antagonist in theTelugu action thrillerNeevevaro, Pannu played the central role of Rumi Bagga, a free-spirited girl caught in a love triangle, inAnurag Kashyap's romantic dramaManmarziyaan alongsideAbhishek Bachchan andVicky Kaushal.[60][61][62] The film premiered at2018 Toronto International Film Festival to positive critical reviews, with widespread critical acclaim for Pannu's performance.[63]Anupama Chopra called her performance "mercurial, mysterious and maddening": "With her cloud of red hair enveloping her, Rumi seems, continually to be a woman on a warpath".[64] The same year, she also acted in two short films:Baarish aur Chowmein andNitishastra.[65][66]
Pannu had a string of releases in 2019, with the first beingSujoy Ghosh's psychological thriller,Badla, an official remake of the 2016 Spanish filmThe Invisible Guest. It also marked her second collaboration with Amitabh Bachchan.[67] She was initially offered a supporting role and the film had a male lead, however, Pannu convinced the producer to have the lead role played by a female which he agreed to and offered her the role.[68]Badla met with highly positive reviews, as did Pannu's performance as Naina Sethi, a shrewd businesswoman.[69] In her review of the film, film criticNamrata Joshi ofThe Hindu appreciated Pannu for being "in fine form";[70] the film met with strong box-office results.[71] Pannu's performance in the film earned theZee Cine Award for Best Actress (Critics), in addition to her second Best Actress nominations at the annualIIFA andScreen award ceremonies. Pannu then essayed the role of a game designer who uses a wheelchair and battles a home invasion in the psychological thrillerGame Over, directed byAshwin Saravanan.[72] The film was shot simultaneously inTamil andTelugu language. During the duration of the filming, Pannu had to be in a wheelchair for 12 hours for 25 days.[73] The film and her performance were praised;Saibal Chatterjee said that Pannu "is never less than convincing" and "may be the primary reason why you must go out a watch this film".[74]
She next played anISRO scientist in the space dramaMission Mangal which was about India's first interplanetary expedition,Mars Orbiter Mission.[75] Pannu accepted a role in the film due to her appreciation of the idea of a space film with, "several leading ladies in it".[76] With a global collection of over₹2.9 billion (US$34 million),Mission Mangal proved to be one of Pannu's biggest financial successes.[77] Her final film of the year wasTushar Hiranandani's biographical filmSaand Ki Aankh, co-starringBhumi Pednekar. Pannu portrayed the role ofPrakashi Tomar, one of the world's oldest sharpshooters for which she underwent three months of training in pistol shooting.[78] Her role was well-received withAnna M. M. Vetticad writing that both Pannu and Pednekar succeed in "delivering equally finely tuned, sensitive performances".[79] Pannu and Pednekar jointly received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics).[80]
Pannu's sole release of 2020 was Anubhav Sinha's social dramaThappad, where she played the role of Amrita, a home-maker who files for divorce after her husband slaps her. She said that the character's "righteousness, her maturity to handle every situation" made her suffocate.[81] The film and Pannu's performance met with widespread critical acclaim.[82] Shubhra Gupta ofThe Indian Express noted that she "drives the film" but added that "the effort she puts into her performance shows".[83] Pannu was awarded with theFilmfare Award for Best Actress and received her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics). The film emerged as a moderate commercial success.[84]
Pannu's first release of 2021 was the romantic thrillerHaseen Dillruba oppositeVikrant Massey. The film premiered on the streaming platform,Netflix and was Pannu's first of several streaming releases. It emerged as the most-watched Hindi film on the platform that year.[85] Both the film and Pannu's performance were, however, poorly received by critics, with Rohan Naahar fromHindustan Times calling it a "hot mess" along with describing it as "illogical" and "ill-conceived" and added that "Pannu's performance as a bored housewife named Rani is all over the place".[86] Shubhra Gupta fromThe Indian Express also criticised her role in the film stating, "Pannu's delivery is exactly the same in her films: only the costumes change".[87] Despite this, her performance in the film earned her a fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics). Pannu's role in theTamil-languagecomedy horrorAnnabelle Sethupathi oppositeVijay Sethupathi generally went unnoticed.[88] Her final film of the year wasRashmi Rocket, asports drama that tells a story of an Indiantrack and field athlete who was subject togender testing due to being diagnosed withhyperandrogenism.[89] Ronak Kotecha ofThe Times of India commented, "Pannu once again proves her mettle. Her effort to celebrate Rashmi's victory and endure her pain, is as real as it gets and the actress doesn't miss the beat when it comes to making us root for her character".[90] She received her second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film. Pannu's third and final release of 2021 was the Telugu filmMishan Impossible directed by Swaroop RSJ. The film marked her comeback in Telugu films afterAnando Brahma in 2017.[91]
Pannu in 2022
In 2022, Pannu starred in the comedy thrillerLooop Lapeta, an official remake of the 1998 German filmRun Lola Run.[92] It released on Netflix.[93] The film, and Pannu's performance, received critical acclaim, earning her theFilmfare OTT Award for Best Actress in a Web Original Film.[94] She next starred in the film directed bySrijit Mukherji, based on the life of formerTest andODI captain of theIndia women's national cricket team,Mithali Raj, titledShabaash Mithu. Upon release, the film was panned by critics and audiences, and emerged as a commercial failure at the box-office; however Pannu's performance received praise, earning her a fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics).[95][96] She then starred in thesci-fi mystery filmDobaaraa, which was a remake of 2018Spanish thrillerMirage (2018), her second collaboration with directorAnurag Kashyap.[97] The film and Pannu's performance received positive reviews; however, it emerged as a commercial failure at the box-office. In December, her first production ventureBlurr was released online onZee5. A remake of the Spanish thriller filmJulia's Eyes (2010), oppositeGulshan Devaiah. the film marked Pannu's third film to be remade from a Spanish original, afterBadla (2019) andDobaara (2022).[98] She then starred in the romantic comedyTadka alongsideNana Patekar,Shriya Saran andAli Fazal.[99] Due to unresolved financial issues with the producers, Pannu and Fazal chose not to participate in the film's promotions as they had not been paid.[100] Despite disliking the film, Archika Khurana ofThe Times of India thought Pannu provided "solid support", but found both her and Fazal to be wasted in their roles.[99]
In 2023, Pannu appeared inRajkumar Hirani’s comedy-dramaDunki oppositeShah Rukh Khan as Manu, a Punjabi woman with aspirations of travelling to England.[101] Upon being signed for the film, she expressed her admiration for Khan and mentioned that it had been a "dream" to work with him.[102] Monika Rawal Kukreja ofHindustan Times described Pannu's performance as "natural" and added that "in the emotionally charged scenes, Pannu showcases a strong grip on her character, and in the funny ones, too, she holds her ground," but was disappointed with her chemistry with Khan.[103] The film emerged as a commercial success at the box-office, grossing over₹450 crore (US$53 million) to become Pannu's highest-grosser.[104][105]Dunki earned her a third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[106]
In August 2024, Pannu reprised her role in the romantic thriller sequelPhir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba.[107] She expressed feeling a sense of ease in knowing that the character had already been well received by audiences.[108] In a mixed review forMint, Uday Bhatia noted that Pannu's performance elevated the script of an otherwise "flailing" film.[109] In the same month, she starred among an ensemble in the comedyKhel Khel Mein, about a group of married friends who partake in a game that reveals their secrets. Based on the Italian filmPerfect Strangers, Pannu portrayed a social media influencer who learns of her husband's (played byAmmy Virk) infidelity.[110] Devesh Sharma ofFilmfare commended her "standout performance" that broke away from her established persona as a "serious actress".[111] The film failed at the box-office, whichThe Times of India attributed to its release alongsideStree 2.[112] Pannu will next portray the role of a police officer inWoh Ladki Hai Kahaan and appear in Barath Neelakantan'ssci-fi project titledAlien.[113][114]
Raghuvendra Singh ofFilmfare says Pannu is "one of the most versatile actresses in the industry".[115]Verve's Zaral Shah finds her to be "frank and forthright".[116] Aditi Bhimjyani ofVogue noted, "Pannu has been busy making her unforgettable mark via her filmography of strong leading roles".[117]Femina's Shraddha Kamdar calls her a "self-made artiste" who is "unafraid of challenges".[118]Sukanya Verma featured her inRediff's list of 'Best Bollywood Actresses' in 2018, 2019 and 2021.[119][120][121]
Pannu runs an event management company called "The Wedding Factory" which she manages along with her sister Shagun and friend Farah Parvaresh.[130] In 2018, she bought the badminton franchisePune 7 Aces which plays in thePremier Badminton League.[131] In 2019, Pannu raised awareness about children's health, and gender parity onTwitter with hashtag #WhyTheGap.[132] In December 2022, she attendedNDTV's show "Jai Jawan" and tested her mettle.[133]
Pannu was in an eleven year relationship with Danish badminton playerMathias Boe and was engaged to him for nine years before getting married.[134] Following a court marriage in December 2023,[135] Pannu married Boe on 23 March 2024 in a traditional wedding ceremony inUdaipur.[136][137] They live inOdense, Denmark.[138]
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.svg)
