"Kitna Embarrassing Hota Hai": Taapsee Pannu Slams South Directors For Padded Bra Demands

Taapsee Pannu, before she became a force to be reckoned with in Bollywood, was a star in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. However, her experience was anything but glamorous. In a revealing interview that has since gone viral, Taapsee spoke about the embarrassing requests she received on the sets of her films, including the one where she was asked to wear padded bras to make her more attractive on screen. Taapsee's revelations have sparked a continued discussion about the objectification of women in mainstream cinema, comparing the ‘visual grammar’ of the North and South film industries, and the unspoken pressure that women actors are under to work to a certain commercial template.

Taapsee Pannu Slams South Directors For Padded Bra Demands

During her appearance on the YouTube podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, Taapsee was asked about the fixation on specific body parts in regional cinema, such as the famous ‘navel obsession’ in the South. Taapsee’s response was both sharp and revealing.

Taapsee shared that directors would often ask actresses to wear padded bras to accentuate their physiques. She described the embarrassing chain of command: The director tells the Assistant Director (AD), who tells the styling team, who then tells the hair/makeup didi to tell the actress. Imagine being told mid-shoot to go and change while everyone watches, only to come back and be told they still can't see the difference.” She noted that while South cinema focuses heavily on the navel in songs, Hindi cinema often shifts that focus toward cleavage. She complained that such demands shift the audience's attention away from a woman's performance and onto her anatomy.

Taapsee highlighted that these choices are rarely for the story but are justified by filmmakers as catering to audience fantasies. She recalled her debut, where a coconut was thrown at her midriff, questioning, "I don't know what's sensuous about a coconut hitting my midriff."

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Taapsee Pannu’s Latest Work

Taapsee is currently seen in ‘Assi,’ which was released in theatres on February 20, 2026. In this never-ending courtroom drama, Taapsee plays the role of Raavi, a fiery lawyer who fights for justice for a survivor of gang rape. This is her third movie with director Anubhav Sinha after the critically acclaimed Mulk and Thappad.

After the success of Assi, Taapsee will be seen in the comedy-drama Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan? with Pratik Gandhi, and the Netflix thriller Gandhari, in which she is expected to display her high-octane action prowess.

 

 

 

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