"Even I Am Trying to Understand the Navel Obsession in South Cinema" Says Taapsee

Taapsee Pannu is once again grabbing attention for her comments about cinema, filmmakers, and the struggles faced by actors. Known for speaking her mind, Taapsee recently shared her views on South cinema, Bollywood, nepotism and even praised director Sandeep Reddy Vanga for his work in Animal.

Talking about Animal movie , Taapsee said, “The same kind of character could have been shown in a RIDICULOUS way by another maker. But the way Sandeep Reddy Vanga has represented it in film is commendable.” She made it clear that strong direction can make even complex or controversial characters meaningful instead of silly.

Taapsee was also asked about a long-debated topic the focus on navels in South Indian film songs. Reacting honestly, she said, “I’m also trying to understand. It’s not that item songs in Hindi cinema don’t focus on navels, but it’s not as much as in South Cinema.” Her comment once again started discussions online about how women are portrayed differently across industries.

Speaking about respect and behavior in the film industry, Taapsee broke the common belief that Bollywood people are always polished or superior. She said, “We never said that all these Bollywood people are completely highly respected. Industry People are no different from a regular person at the character level.”

Taapsee also opened up about the constant struggle outsiders face. She explained, “We have to prove ourselves in every film. We don’t have that ‘now you have arrived, now you enjoy STARDOM’ phase. Outsider vs outsider also exists here.. We don’t support each other much.”

Talking about nepotism, she gave a balanced example. Referring to Alia Bhatt’s performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi, Taapsee said no one questions it because of talent. However, she added, “The problem is when opportunities come one after another from our pool.”