'Even the biggest failure teaches you'

'At least you know what not to do in the future. Even that failure becomes a success in the larger scheme of things.'

Photograph: Kind courtesy Taapsee Pannu/Instagram

Taapsee Pannu likes the place she's in currently.

"Dunki gave me a chance to work with Shah Rukh Khan and Raj Kumar Hirani. It was an experience to cherish. Each day I wanted to observe and absorb the maximum," she tells Subhash K Jha.

"I was aware I may not get this kind of opportunity again in my life. I realised what makes Shah Rukh Khan such a superstar is not just his cinematic personality, but also the kind of person he is in real life."

IMAGE: Taapsee Pannu in Dunki.

For once, Taapsee did not have to worry about the marketing of the film.

"This is why during the last two years, I had so much time and mind-space to relax and not worry about how to push my film. I knew I was riding on the safest vehicle in Dunki. I could sit on the backseat and not have to worry about the intentions and efforts that were being put into this project.

"I really enjoyed relaxing and letting people, who know their job, do the marketing," she adds.

The past year has been a time of change in her career and perspective.

"I think I've changed a lot during the last one year. My biggest takeaway was that there is no categorical success or failure in life. It's all about how one perceives every incident in one's life.

"Even the biggest failure has a lot to teach you. At least you know what not to do in the future. Even that failure becomes a success in the larger scheme of things. So this kind of shift in perception has helped me understand the dynamics of success and failure better. Which is why I see it as a year of wholesome growth. I have stopped judging success and failure in ultimate terms," she says.

IMAGE: Sanjana Sanghi, Ratna Pathak Shah, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Dia Mirza in Dhak Dhak.

Taapsee also produced a lovely film Dhak Dhak in 2023, which, sadly, went unnoticed on the big screen.

"The marketing of Dhak Dhak was not in my hands. As a producer, I was advised to make good content and I did my best.

"What happened later was in the hands of the studio (Viacom 18). They are the best people to answer why Dhak Dhak was so poorly marketed. When it released on OTT on Netflix, I was concerned as their big film The Archies was to release the next day. I thought Dhak Dhak was doomed. To my surprise, we started trending at Number 1 almost immediately."