Actress Taapsee Pannu attended a special session of Sahitya Aaj Tak in Delhi on Sunday, where she talked about her position in the film industry, and how she recently discovered her sexuality on screen. During the session titled Haseena Bemisaal, the actress revealed that filmmakers and writers do not offer her films with big heroes as they feel that she will not say yes to those stories.

The 37-year-old said, “My managers often tell me that people don’t come to me with films with big heroes. They think that this one won’t do. But, it’s not like that. When I do a film with someone big, Hero, the pressure of running a film is not on me.”

Taapsee mentioned her 2023 release Dunky with Shah Rukh Khan and highlighted how it was the film’s director and superstar’s wish that she could take a break and relax during the release. “Like Dunki, it was Hirani and Shahrukh, and I was relaxed. I want to do films that definitely have important roles, but without any pressure. I want to do good roles, meaty characters, and It doesn’t matter if it’s unlike any big hero,” she explained.

Taapsee talked about growing as an actress and how playing the role of Rani in Haseen Dilruba helped her. The actor credited the film for exposing his sexuality on screen. He said that no one saw him from that perspective and the Netflix film changed this perception about him.

Taapsee laughingly said that the film made her comfortable in wearing saree and now she feels sensual. “I had never explored female sexuality on screen before. No one thought of me that way. Now, I understand it. Now I channelize it. It was a discovery for me. Rani “My learning from is realizing a sensual side of me.”

But, is she like a queen in real life too? Taapsee clearly denied having any qualities like her popular character. She called herself ‘raw’ and shared, “She’s pretty sensual. I’m a little more raw. She’s more balanced and reasonable. I’m a little more brutal. And I’m not as smart as her.”

Taapsee is currently preparing for her next film Gandhari, in which she is playing an action role. Written and produced by Kanika Dhillon, who also recently produced Kriti Sanon’s Do Patti, the film features the actor playing a fierce mother.

“I wanted to do action in a different story. And so, Gandhari. Kanika has written and produced it. It will be a mother-daughter action film. In a way, it is a mother’s revenge and anger for her daughter But, it’s not, Detective. If you’d like, we’ll make it into a series,” he told the audience.

Taapsee also praised Shah Rukh Khan for being a ‘well-educated’ and ‘complete’ superstar. He touched upon a lot of things from his struggles to identifying his likes and dislikes as an actor and pursuing female-oriented cinema in his career.