Taapsee Pannu, Kanika Dhillon, and Guneet Monga Kapoor came together for a candid session, focused on women driving Indian cinema and the growing trend of female-led collaborations. During the conversation, writer Kanika Dhillon opened up about her long working relationship with Taapsee Pannu.
Kanika Dhillon on Taapsee Pannu’s tolerance for male ego
At an event organised by WIF India and Kathha Pictures, speaking on gender bias in the industry, Kanika Dhillon talked about Taapsee Pannu’s zero tolerance for male ego. She said, “Thankfully, I have somebody with me who has zero tolerance for male ego (laughs)! Hence, there’s a lot to admire and learn from each other.”Recalling an incident from ‘Manmarziyaan’ (2018), Kanika said, “I remember during Manmarziyaan, we were privately having dinner and people would keep interrupting. Vicky Kaushal and I looked at each other and said, ‘Ek aur aadmi aane waala hai. Pata nahin iske saath kya hoga.’ At the end of it, she would be so tired that she would ask, ‘Why are you disturbing’! She’s so in-your-face… She’s not polite!”Taapsee laughingly responded, “Thanks, Kanika!” while the filmmaker added, “When somebody crosses a line, she’ll call a spade a spade… But now, I admire it.”Taapsee also revealed, “Now, she calls me beforehand and tells me, ‘Taapsee, aisa mat bolna. I know you might feel like saying it, but don’t say it. Forget it’!”
Six films with Taapsee Pannu
Talking about her long collaboration with Taapsee Pannu, Kanika Dhillon revealed, “‘Gandhari’ is my sixth film with Taapsee. All these films were not given to either of us on a platter. We hustled to make it happen. I used to tell her, ‘Taapsee, bhanji maarni hai’ (laughs).”She added, “Moreover, you have to circumvent a lot of male egos. Understanding the male ego on a set, and navigating the entire equation around it, is a very big hurdle that you have to cross.”
Upcoming project
Taapsee Pannu will next be seen in ‘Gandhari’, directed by Devashish Makhija, premiering on Netflix on September 3, 2026.