Actress Taapsee Pannu, who was recently seen in the courtroom drama Assi, opened up about South Indian cinema`s obsession with the navel, while comparing it to Hindi cinema. She also spoke about set awkwardness, item song culture, and double standards in the Indian film industry. The actress reacted to questions about why Bhojpuri and South Indian cinema seemingly focus heavily on the navel in their song sequences and item numbers.
Taapsee Pannu about South Cinema`s navel obsession
During the conversation with Shubhankar Mishra, Taapsee Pannu said, “I am also trying to understand. It’s not that item songs in Hindi cinema don’t focus on it, but it’s not as much as in South Cinema. Hindi cinema is more about cleavage.”
Further, the actress added that in South Indian films, actresses are often asked to wear padded bras. She describes how such directions are typically conveyed, while questioning the indirect communication chain on set. She shared that it starts from the director to the assistant director, then passes on to the styling team, moving to hair and wardrobe departments before finally reaching the actress. She also highlighted how awkward these situations can become.
Taapsee added, “Imagine how embarrassing it would be. You’re shooting a song, someone gets up in the middle, walks off, everyone knows exactly what’s happening. All the men are sitting there, watching what looks different when you come back.”
Taapsee Pannu`s career
For the unversed, before entering Bollywood, Taapsee Pannu worked as a South Indian actress and starred in several Telugu and Tamil films. The actress made her debut with the 2010 Telugu film Jhummandi Naadam, wherein she was seen sharing screen with Manoj Manchu. She was working actively in South Indian cinema before setting foot in Bollywood with Baby (2015), starring alongside Akshay Kumar.
The 2016 courtroom drama, Pink, which established her place in Hindi cinema. The film, also starring Amitabh Bachchan, changed the conversation around her in Hindi cinema and established her as a prominent name in Bollywood.
Most recently, she was seen in Anubhav Sinha`s Assi, which hit the screens on February 20, 2026. It marked Taapsee`s second collaboration with the filmmaker after 2020`s Thappad.
