Actress Taapsee Pannu claims that she jumped into her most challenging part as the former leader of the Indian women's cricket team in the biopic "Shabaash Mithu" with a shared goal of equitable respect for women in their careers, much like her present on-screen persona as Mithali Raj.
The famed Indian hitter, who is regarded as one of the best female cricket players ever, changed the way the nation looked at the activity that is sometimes called "the gentleman's game."
"In our country, there are two religions -- cricket and films. If you call yourself a cricket-loving nation then you should love women's cricket equally, you are not just a men's cricket-loving nation. Cricket should matter and not gender. In a same vein, it shouldn't matter what gender the protagonist is. The focus should be on the film's quality. If a movie has a male protagonist, you pre-order it; if it has a female protagonist, you wait for reviews. I felt a connection with her there, the actor, 34, stated in an interview.
When Raj expressed her displeasure over comparisons to their male counterparts in cricket, Pannu claimed she felt "embarrassed" because she was unfamiliar of the former Indian captain, her path, and female accomplishments. Raj was questioned on the eve of the 2017 ICC Women's World Cup about whether Indian or Pakistani cricketer she preferred.
In a sharp retort, she had asked, "Do you ask a male cricketer who their favourite female player is?" It is a similar scenario in the film industry, pointed out Pannu, adding that female actors too are often asked these questions.
"I have been answering this question for over 10 years. Who is your favourite male star? Who do you want to be paired opposite? I hardly see the male stars answering the (same) question. I felt this will be my connecting thread to her character and from there I will build whatever I need to, to be her," the actor added.
