Taapsee Pannu’s Blog On Women’s Day: Moving on… over… .. and beyond

By Taapsee Pannu -

March 9, 2015 - 11:46 AM IST

Sitting with a glass of water, knowing I will have a lot to gulp down along with every sip I take in the next few minutes, and (to my surprise) my picture on a magazine's cover staring into my face, sitting right beside me. Probably a good encouragement to finish this article in time. A gesture that might put me on a fence to be declared self-obsessed, but hell ya, I am an actor! And I am officially allowed to be so!

8th March 2015 - My day began quite early as I was headed back to Mumbai from Chennai after getting felicitated at a Women's Day special event. Travelling leaves you with enough time at your disposal to ponder upon things you generally give a miss in normal life. Going through all women's day messages and fighting a small battle inside my head as to whether we need a day like Women's Day or not.

Taapsee Pannu’s Blog On Women’s Day: Moving on… over… .. and beyond

I moved on to let the remaining 18 hours of the day to decide that.

An Inbox full of messages like - Wishing you with a bunch of roses... chocolates... etc. etc. made me feel like I have gone back in time in the whirlpool on Valentines soppiness. If that's how we do this, then why Women's Day???

Let's move on... over... and beyond....

Standing in the security check queue, I can't help but observe why is it always 1:4 or 2:5 ratio of 'women queue' to 'men queue'. Is it because women don't travel enough or we get through the queues easy and quick? No matter how badly I want to believe in latter, my mind begs to disagree, just like you all. Well, then what can be the reason we have such bad ratio almost everywhere in the world?

I am not going to address this question here, you may utilize Women's Day to think over it.... For now, let's move on... over.... And beyond.

I reached home at the time when my house help was cleaning my place. Looking through things beyond ordinary, I was forced to think why is it that its majorly a female who cleans up our house whereas it's a man in most cases when it comes to cleaning a room in a star hotel? Is there a rule written in any book with regards to this? Or this is how we have set the standards?

I won't address this question here, but you may utilize Women's Day to think over it.... For now, let's move on... over.... And beyond.

Mid of the day I get a call from an Assistant Director of a renowned Director asking me to do a song in a BIG starrer movie on the pretext of adding 'weight' to the project by bringing in another actress in the movie. Not to forget that there are already more than one actresses in the movie, giving it enough 'weight' quite literally! I replied to him saying - 'Of course yes, but only if I get paid as much as your star'. The man on the line sounded quite amused with my answer. I told him it's only fair if I get paid as much since it's me who is going to give that project the much needed weight or edge in the market. I don't really blame him for sounding confused after that, I agree it's difficult to understand my dark humor at times.

No points for guessing, I didn't really make it to that elite list of actresses in that big star movie. But ever thought why is it that in 99 percent of cases, a man gets to romance a new girl in every song of the same movie and not the other way round? Why are we women in majority in that kind of casting and still we don't have enough substance to our role all put together, compared to that one male actor? I've been told that it's the audience demand. An audience which comprises of men in majority!

Ever wondered why these men want to see men on big screen and some woman action back at home on a small computer screen in the dark corner of their room?

I won't address this question here but you may utilize Women's Day to think over it. For now..., let's move on... over... and beyond.

I drive out for a meeting, picked up my Manager on the way. The whole driving time he just couldn't seem to get over the fact that I being a female actor drive around myself for my meetings. I see a lot of male actors do that, I don't understand the difference if I do it. It's the car I have spent my hard earned money on and spent time researching days and weeks on which one to buy. Why should I get someone else to drive it for me then? And on top of it, pay him to do! Why is it that women are always looked upon with doubt when it comes to driving, when we have acquired our license the same way how men have (be it fair or unfair means)? Why is it that I have to be at the receiving end of all those chauvinistic comments on roads when a man driving past saying "ye ladki log kaise bhi drive karta hai" goes ahead and breaks a red signal just a few meters ahead? Why do I have to bear the aggression of a man who believes I am a fool standing at a red signal waiting for it to turn green just because its 10:30 in the night when the junction barely has any cars around? Who gives these men the right to generalize and criticize all women drivers??

I won't address this question here but you may utilize Women's Day to think over it. For nowâ€¦, let's move on... over... and beyond.

It's a small attempt by me, not to raise eyebrows but to raise the standards of our thinking. If you can't really find the answers to these questions, then I guess we do need this day. To think, more than to celebrate. Let's not keep questioning the reason or the need for this day, in our approach to be more logical and EQUAL.

Or as I would say.... let's move on.... Over... and beyond