Taapsee Pannu says makers blame audience for objectification of women in films: ‘They feel janta maang rahi hai’
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
The portrayal of women in two recent big-budget releases, Ram Charan ’s Peddi and Yash’s Toxic, has sparked debate on social media. Amid the backlash, star Taapsee Pannu , who is currently promoting her recent rollout Gandhari, has weighed in on the debate, saying that the industry often blames the audience for such portrayals. In an interview with Zoom, she also called it a battle that actors cannot win without the audience’s support.
Adding to this, Taapsee Pannu at the trailer preview of the soon-to-release movie Gandhari, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (PTI Photo) (PTI) Taapsee Pannu on objectification of women in films When asked about her views on the objectification of women in films like Peddi, and whether the continued success of such films would encourage makers to keep producing them, Taapsee shared that the virtual world does not always have an impact on the real world. According to her, so-called mass films and mass genres are particularly averse to the influence of the social media world.
Meanwhile, She added, "No matter how much noise you make, you'll probably still find an equal number of profiles on social media using the same picture, zooming in on it, using weird angles in different kinds of videos and pictures, and kind of making it widely shared. So, there is an audience for that on social media as well."
Notably, She added, "It's demand and supply. People think ki janta maang Rahi hai toh humko dena chahiye, how else will we earn money. So art takes a back seat, craft takes a back seat. We did progress a lot before Covid where we were catching up with the best now we are again slacking. And all the makers will blame the audience and there's where we all actors fail to give a comeback. That's a battle we will loose and only audience has to help us win it."
As per the latest buzz, Her remarks come amid the recent backlash on social media over the portrayal of women in films such as Toxic and Peddi. In Peddi, the hypersexualisation of Janhvi Kapoor’s character drew criticism online. The backlash was particularly directed at the camera work, romantic scenes and the emphasis on Achiyyamma’s physical appearance rather than her character. The scenes were later removed from the movie by the director, who also issued an apology.
In further updates, The portrayal of women in Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups became a subject of debate even before the movie’s rollout. The criticism intensified after its rollout, with a section of viewers accusing the makers of objectifying female characters and presenting them primarily through glamour, sensuality and their relationships with the male protagonist.
On top of that, Taapsee was most of late seen in Gandhari, an action thriller directed by Devashish Makhija and written and produced by Kanika Dhillon. The movie stars Taapsee Pannu, Ishwak Singh, Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukherjee and Mita Vashisht in key roles. It is available to stream on Netflix.
Riya Sharma is a content producer at Hindustan Times who lives and breathes entertainment. If there’s gossip making noise in Bollywood or a reality show moment breaking the internet, chances are she’s already writing about it. She loves digging out the juiciest stories, spotting widely shared pegs and turning it into easy-to-read content. A journalism graduate from IP University, Riya began her career as a social media executive, where she learned the art of grabbing attention in a scroll-heavy world. But her love for showbiz soon pulled her into entertainment journalism, because for her, it’s always been entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment. An artist at heart, Riya has a deep passion for acting, music and dance, which shapes how she watches and writes about films and reality shows. She loves sharing her views and reviews, especially when something excites, surprises or completely disappoints her. A hardcore reality show fan, Riya enjoys tracking every twist, task and meltdown, and breaking them down for readers who can’t get enough of high-voltage drama. Movies are equally close to her heart, whether it’s a big theatrical rollout or a binge-worthy OTT series, she’s always watching, and analysing what’s worth the time. She loves talking to celebrities, asking questions that go beyond the usual. When she’s not working, she’s either glued to a new web series, hunting for underrated thrillers on OTT platforms, or rewatching iconic Bollywood moments. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times