Taapsee Pannu reveals worst reason for being replaced from a film: the hero’s wife doesn’t like you

Taapsee Pannu has opened up about moments when she says she was removed from projects without clear explanations. In a recent chat with host Nayandeep Rakshit, the actress recalled being replaced after the lead actor objected to her casting, saying she was left wondering about the possible reason behind the decision.

“I have been told that I was replaced by the hero of the film. God knows the reason. I keep imagining the reasons. I can imagine the insecurity; I can imagine that he wanted someone else whom he was closer to. I can imagine various reasons, but I wasn’t given any solid reason. I was just told that he didn’t want me in the film because I kept asking the reason for my removal,” Taapsee said.

The actress described another incident she called the worst reason she was given for being replaced: she was told that the lead actor’s wife did not like her. She added, “The worst reason given to me when I was replaced was, ‘The hero’s wife doesn’t like you.’ I don’t know why she didn’t like me.” Taapsee did not reveal the identities of the actor or his wife.

Beyond these recollections, Taapsee has long discussed the kinds of projects she pursues and her decision to avoid being typecast. In a conversation with PTI, she argued that the industry often relies on a fixed set of actresses for particular types of roles. “Everybody is going into their comfort zone and using tried-and-tested methods. For instance, for glamorous roles, they (industry) have a set of five actresses they can cast, and for hard-hitting, issue-based films, they have another set of five actresses to cast,” she said.

She described how she has responded to such dynamics by turning down projects she believes would lead to predictable endings. “I’ve actually started turning down films for this reason, telling makers that the audience will easily guess the ending. So, (I tell them) ‘Don’t cast me in this; it’s bad for your film’. I’ve gone and ‘de-sold’ myself to a few films,” she added.

On the work front, Taapsee Pannu was last seen in the action-thriller Gandhari, which premiered on Netflix on September 3. The film is directed by Devashish Makhija and backed by Kanika Dhillon, with Taapsee in the lead role.

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