'I try to avoid looking at him as the Shah Rukh Khan'

'Whenever I am on that set, I feel excited.'
'But I have to turn that switch off because if I keep feeling like a fan girl, I am not going to do my job properly.'
'It is very tough for someone whose introduction to Hindi movies happened through someone like him.'

Taapsee Pannu, wh0 will be seen in Shabaash Mithu, based on this cricket legend -- wants to take a break from such films now.

And the best way to do that, of course, is sign up a film with Shah Rukh Khan!

"Sports-related films is taking a mental toll on me," Taapsee tells Rediff.com Contributor Sameena Razzaq.

• Part I: 'I am forgetting that I am an actor'

You are having a theatrical release after a long time, after Thappad. Any pressure?

Yes, it's coming two years after Thappad, and that is making me nervous.

I feel the pressure, and rightfully so.

The day I stop feeling the pressure, I think it will be time to change my job because I will be indifferent then.

How comfortable are you with your films releasing on the OTT platform?

I want people to spend time and money on my film, believing that it will be worth it.

Whether it releases on OTT or theatres, I want validation from my audience.

I was sceptical about OTT until Haseen Dillruba released.

The kind of buzz it created, I didn't feel for a second that it was not a theatrical release.

But I like the idea of community viewing because I like watching films that way. So I want my audience to do that for me.

An actor goes through a wide range of emotions. How do you take care of your mental health while navigating through all this?

That is one of the reasons I want to take a break from sports-related films.

It is taking a mental toll on me.

I literally have no life beyond training and shooting.

I wake up at 5-5.30 am, do two hours of sports training, then shoot for 12 hours, go home and sleep, or else I won't have enough sleep to be ready for the next day.

I have been living this life for two years and it's taking a mental toll on me.

I need to have a life beyond work.

Hence, it is bad for my mental health to continue doing these kinds of films.

I don't mind taking the help of specialists to make sure that I have a sounding board or someone who will take my anxiety out of me.

It is a very demanding profession, mentally, especially when you are shouldering your films.

You are going to be the one who will face the maximum repercussions.

Just like you go to a doctor for your physical illness, whenever I feel like seeking mental help, I do go out and seek help.

Most of your films don't have a hero. Amitabh Bachchan was the last big star you have worked with. Is it a conscious effort not to have a leading man?

I am going to have a big star Shah Rukh Khan soon.

It's not like I planned like that.

I don't have an option. I don't get those films.

Are you excited about working with Shah Rukh in Dunki?

Whenever I am on that set, I feel excited.

But I have to turn that switch off because if I keep feeling like a fan girl, I am not going to do my job properly and I don't to mess up this opportunity.

I try to avoid looking at him as the Shah Rukh Khan.

It is very tough for someone whose introduction to Hindi movies happened through someone like him.

My forever favourite Hindi film is Chak De! India, which is a Shah Rukh Khan film.