Kanika Dhillon: Taapsee Pannu never asks, who is the male lead?

Describing Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba as ‘wilder’ than its 2021 original, Taapsee Pannu and writer Kanika Dhillon on how they push each other to create spirited female characters

You may not always agree with the characters’ decisions, but they don’t give a damn. That is the beauty of the parts created by actor Taapsee Pannu and writer Kanika Dhillon—from Manmarziyaan’s (2018) Rumi to Haseen Dillruba’s (2021) fiery Rani. The actor-writer duo are now ready with the romantic thriller’s second instalment, titled Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba (PAHD). Dhillon had so much fun creating unpredictable characters in Pannu’s Rani and Vikrant Massey’s Rishu that a sequel, she says, was inevitable. “I didn’t want new lead characters for the sequel. We have gone more wicked with Rani and Rishu. During the narration, Taapsee joked, ‘Aapne kya kha ke script likha?’ Phir Aayi is wilder than the first part,” says Dhillon.

Haseen Dillruba revolved around a love affair taking a murderous turn

Lust and betrayal were at the heart of the 2021 Netflix film, which told the story of Rani who pursues a love affair after marrying the mild-mannered Rishu. Sunny Kaushal joins the cast for the Jayprad Desai-helmed sequel. Even as she is tight-lipped about how the murder mystery moves ahead, Pannu says, “Here, the situations are messier. I knew I had to up my game. Rani is a seductress. This time, we knew that being daring will pay off, because it did the last time. The audience enjoys radical things. I didn’t fear failing anymore, so I played it with abandon.”

Though Haseen Dillruba was lapped up by viewers, Rani’s decisions were widely debated. How does the judgment affect their work? Pannu reflects, “We faced backlash and judgment for Manmarziyaan too. But both characters are decision-makers. It’s never the men who force them; it’s their choice. Feminism is not about equal opportunity alone, it’s also about a woman’s free will. I like flawed characters that kickstart a conversation.”

Pannu admits that the ability to remain wild takes a hit as one grows up. But their pursuit to bring uninhibited women to screen bonds Dhillon and her. After PAHD, the two have Dunki in the pipeline. “We are now making wilder characters. Creating something predictable doesn’t work for either of us,” says the actor. Dhillon adds, “Taapsee’s faith in me makes me take risks. There have been times when I have considered other actors for roles that I’ve written, but they ask questions like, ‘Who is the male lead?’ Taapsee never asks such questions. She is [confident] about shouldering a film.”

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