Taapsee Pannu has established herself as one of Bollywood's most versatile performers, particularly through films that give her strong, layered and unconventional characters. While she has also appeared in commercial entertainers, it is her performances in socially relevant dramas, thrillers and women-led stories that have made her filmography stand out.
With her latest film Gandhari also adding another intense character to her career, this is a good time to revisit some of the best Taapsee Pannu movies that showcase her range as an actor. From the hard-hitting Pink to the suspenseful Badla and the emotional drama Thappad, these films cover very different sides of the actress.
1. Pink — The Film That Changed Her Career
Released in 2016, Pink was a major turning point for Taapsee Pannu in Hindi cinema. She played Minal Arora, one of three young women who find themselves at the centre of a legal battle following an incident involving a powerful man.
With Amitabh Bachchan playing a retired lawyer, the film tackled consent, victim-blaming and women's rights. Taapsee's performance was widely appreciated and helped establish her as an actress capable of carrying serious, issue-based stories.
2. Thappad — A Powerful Story About Self-Respect
Thappad is another defining film in Taapsee Pannu's career. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the 2020 film follows Amrita, a homemaker whose seemingly comfortable married life changes after her husband slaps her at a party.
Rather than treating the incident as something a woman should simply tolerate, the film explores self-respect, marriage and the expectations placed on women. Taapsee's restrained yet emotional performance became one of the major highlights of the film.
3. Badla — A Thriller Full of Twists
If you want to see Taapsee in a completely different mood, Badla is an excellent choice. The 2019 mystery thriller paired her with Amitabh Bachchan and kept audiences guessing about what really happened.
Taapsee played Naina Sethi, a successful businesswoman who finds herself accused in a murder case. The story unfolds through a series of revelations, making her performance increasingly complex as the mystery develops.
Key Details
| Movie | Year | Taapsee's Role | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pink | 2016 | Minal Arora | Courtroom Drama |
| Thappad | 2020 | Amrita | Social Drama |
| Badla | 2019 | Naina Sethi | Mystery Thriller |
| Mulk | 2018 | Aarti Mohammed | Legal Drama |
| Manmarziyaan | 2018 | Rumi Bagga | Romantic Drama |
| Dunki | 2023 | Manu Randhawa | Comedy-Drama |
| Saand Ki Aankh | 2019 | Prakashi Tomar | Biographical Drama |
4. Mulk — Taapsee in a Courtroom Drama
Released in 2018, Mulk saw Taapsee take on the role of lawyer Aarti Mohammed. The film revolves around a Muslim family that faces allegations of links to terrorism and the struggle to prove their innocence.
Starring alongside the late Rishi Kapoor, Taapsee delivered a strong courtroom performance while the film explored themes of identity, prejudice and communal tensions.
5. Manmarziyaan — Her Romantic and Emotional Side
Taapsee has often been associated with intense and serious roles, but Manmarziyaan showed another side of her acting. Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the 2018 romantic drama featured her as Rumi Bagga, a fiercely independent woman caught in a complicated love triangle.
Her character is impulsive, emotional and flawed, allowing Taapsee to explore vulnerability and romance in a very different way. The film remains one of the more distinctive romantic dramas in her filmography.
6. Saand Ki Aankh — A Challenging Transformation
In Saand Ki Aankh, Taapsee played sharpshooter Prakashi Tomar alongside Bhumi Pednekar. The 2019 biographical drama was inspired by the lives of Prakashi and Chandro Tomar, who became known for their achievements in shooting despite beginning the sport later in life.
The role required Taapsee to step well outside the image of a conventional young Bollywood heroine and portray a woman from a very different background.
7. Dunki — Taapsee With Shah Rukh Khan
Taapsee also became part of a major commercial project with Shah Rukh Khan in Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki. Released in 2023, the film focused on the struggles of immigrants trying to enter another country through an illegal route known as the “donkey” route.
Taapsee played Manu Randhawa, a determined woman whose journey forms an important emotional thread in the story. The film gave her an opportunity to work in a large-scale mainstream project while still playing a character with significant emotional depth.
Taapsee Pannu's Film Choices Keep Her Filmography Interesting
What makes Taapsee Pannu movies interesting is the variety of characters she has chosen throughout her Hindi film career. She has played a lawyer, homemaker, athlete, sharpshooter, romantic heroine, businesswoman and immigrant, often choosing stories that give her characters something substantial to do.
Her filmography also shows that she is not interested in being limited to one genre. Whether it is a courtroom drama like Pink, a social drama like Thappad, a thriller like Badla or a romantic story like Manmarziyaan, Taapsee has consistently experimented with different roles.
With Gandhari adding another intense performance to her recent work, her career continues to reflect the same approach: choosing characters that can leave an impression rather than simply following the safest formula.
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