Shabaash Mithu actor Taapsee Pannu: Cricket should matter and not the gender

Taapsee Pannu, who has constantly impressed moviegoers with strong roles in movies such as Pink and Thappad, is all set to appear in Shabaash Mithu. The actor, who will be playing a cricketer in the movie, has now stated that for a country that loves cricket, they should also love the women’s cricket team. 

“In our country there are two religions – cricket and films. If you call yourself a cricket loving nation then you should love women’s cricket equally, you are not just men’s cricket loving nation. The cricket should matter and not the gender,” Taapsee told PTI, as reported by The Print. 

The actor also said that the gender of the protagonist should not matter and that it should be about the film. She stated that people would pre-book tickets for a movie with a male protagonist but wait for the reviews for a movie if it has a female lead. Taapsee added that this is how she connected to Mithali Raj, the cricketer who she will be playing on screen.

Directed by National Film Award-winning filmmaker Srijit Mukherji, the sports drama is based on the life of Mithali Raj, the former captain of the India women's national cricket team. Mumtaz Sorcar, Vijay Raaz and Devadarshini are among others, who will also feature in the biopic. 

Taapsee has previously appeared in sports dramas before, such as Soorma, Saandh Ki Aankh, and Rashmi Rocket. She was last seen in a Telugu film, Mishan Impossible, directed by Swaroop RSJ, which is now available to stream on Netflix. 

Taapsee has a long list of movies in the pipeline, including Jana Gana Mana, Dunki, Dobaaraa and Blurr.