How Taapsee Pannu and Kajal Aggarwal are constantly reinventing themselves
Two recent Telugu releases that are currently running to near full house feature Kajal Aggarwal (Nene Raju Nene Mantri) and Taapsee Pannu (Anando Bhrama). And while neither is a heroine-centric film, both actresses hold their own with aplomb and immense grace.
Nene Raju Nene Mantri is Rana Daggubati's show from the word go but Radha played by Kajal in the grime and gore of this overtly masculine film comes as a breather for the audience. Her character goes a few steps beyond the usual supportive wife.
On closer observation, she is almost like his alter-ego, representing all that's still human and tender about him buried beneath the megalomania. And she has beautifully portrayed all the subtle nuances needed of such a character, distinctly different from the drama demanded of her in Magadheera (2009), a landmark film of her career that brought her much popularity and respect in the Telugu and thereafter Tamil industry.
While her performance has certainly evolved over the years since Lakshmi Kalyanam in 2007, we hear her sincerity has remained intact all the way to Nene Raju Nene Mantri, which happens to be her 50th film.
Just when we thought we were used to seeing a gritty Taapsee Pannu on screen, comes Anando Bhrama, a horror comedy featuring her in a ghost (excuse the pun) guest appearance.
The extended cameo is a fun departure from the strong women she has essayed in Baby (2014), Pink (2016) and Naam Shabana (2017). The film itself is an experiment within horror comedy (a genre that became popular in the last few years in Tollywood) wherein humans eventually end up scaring ghosts amid some crazy antics.
Taapsee says she was approached for this project while Naam Shabana was still being filmed and that she agreed to do it simply for the unusual theme of the film.
Incidentally, the 2011 Telugu hit, Mr Perfect starred them both. While Taapsee was the fun and bubbly charmer who simply lit up the screen each time she appeared, Kajal played the demure girl-next-door, who also finally wins over Mr Perfect, played by Prabhas. It was difficult to decide who to root for.
Ever since, they have both striven for perfection, treading across genres and languages, delivering surprises with challenging performances and constant reinvention.
The growth curves are indeed drool-worthy.