Pink, Thappad, Mulk, Assi: Taapsee Pannu and the championing of fearless cinema

Taapsee Pannu has been a part of the Hindi film industry for over 15 years. In her journey so far, she has acted in two films directed by David Dhawan. Both are commercial successes. But the one film that truly made people sit up and take notice was Neeraj Pandey’s Baby, where her breathless combat sequence in a squeezed hotel room in Nepal particularly stood out. A star was born.

She almost became omnipresent with an average of 4-5 releases every year. Her explosive turn as the fiery Rumi in Anurag Kashyap’s Manmarziyaan continues to be her finest hour in films. But then, she also championed the kind of narratives other actresses may shy away from. One of them is the 2016 courtroom drama Pink. She shudders and quivers at the bone-chilling questions. Her consent is dismissed until a certain line became a catalyst for many women to protect their space.

Two years later, she starred in another courtroom drama Mulk, which was her maiden collaboration with Anubhav Sinha. This time, it was fighting the rights and religion of her family. The film asked uncomfortable questions, and gave equally uneasy answers. And then Thappad happened. Again, a film that strongly shows the meaning and power of the word NO. It was also a film that slowly unraveled the misogyny of an otherwise pious husband.

Pannu’s latest outing is Assi , a film that talks about the trauma and aftermath of rape. She plays a lawyer who is repeatedly shamed for her stance. But she stands firm. So does the film.

The film positions her at the heart of a story that thrives on emotional complexity, and she rises to the challenge with a performance marked by quiet strength. Instead of theatrical flourishes, she leans into subtlety, allowing pauses, expressions, and carefully measured dialogue delivery to carry weight. The result is a portrayal that feels immersive and deeply affecting. All eyes on what she does next.