Remember Taapsee Pannu taking a dig at Alia Bhatt’s mother Soni Razdan and actress Neena Gupta on The Kapil Sharma Show in October last year? Weeks later, the Saand Ki Aankh actress found herself embroiled in yet another unnecessary controversy after producer Tanuj Garg congratulated her on winning the Filmfare award by calling Taapsee ‘Bollywood’s Ayushmann Khurrana. Not flattered by the comparison, Taapsee reacted with sarcasm-laden comments on Twitter.
It all started with producer Tanuj Garg congratulating Taapsee for winning the Filmfare award for Saand Ki Aankh. . Tanuj wrote, “Congrats to the powerhouse @taapsee, humaare #Bollywood ki female Ayushmann Khurrana. #SaandKiAankh #bestactress.”
Congrats to the powerhouse @taapsee, humaare #Bollywood ki female Ayushmann Khurrana. #SaandKiAankh #bestactress pic.twitter.com/MWrAQZzPGO
— TANUJJ GARG (@tanuj_garg) February 16, 2020
Not impressed by the comparison with Ayushmann, the Mulk actress replied, “What about calling me bollywood ki pehli Taapsee Pannu.”
In October, while appearing on The Kapil Sharma Show, Taapsee had taken a veiled dig at Alia Bhatt’s mother Soni Razdan and Neena Gupta for their comments expressing their desire to have been cast in her film. Taapsee and Bhumi Pednekar were the special guests on Sony TV’s comedy show.
While applauding both Taapsee and Bhumi for their courage to play the characters of two ’60-plus women’, Kapil had asked Taapsee, “The age that Bhumi and Taapsee are in, actresses in their age group avoid playing the roles of even mothers and you guys have become grandmothers (in the film). How?”
Taapsee had replied, “The role was such that which actors would refuse. Many actors are saying that ‘we should have played these characters.’ But this was our opportunity and grabbed it.”
Taapsee’s reference to actors wanting to do their roles assumes significance in light of the controversy over comments made by Soni Razdan and Neena Gupta last month.
Soni Razdan had told a news portal that whilst she loved both Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar, there was no rationale behind making a film on 60-year-olds if the makers couldn’t cast the ‘real ones.’ “..I mean why? I get there is something called box office draw but then why make a film on 60-year-olds if you can’t cast the real ones?” Soni Razdan had told The Quint website.