As she unveils first look of Shabaash Mithu, Taapsee Pannu discusses why she is perfect for Mithali Raj biopic despite lack of physical resemblance.
Taapsee Pannu as Mithali Raj
There is little physical resemblance between Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj. But look closely and it is easy to see how the two women have been game-changers in their respective fields with their feisty attitude, and skill to boot. "I was roped in because Mithali and I have similar life approach and ideologies. We don't want to replicate the look to the tee," underlines Pannu, who unveiled the first look of Shabaash Mithu, the biopic on the Indian women's cricket team skipper, yesterday.
"We want to make it as convincing as possible, but it's not as important to look like her as it is to perform and behave like her. I was constantly in touch with her while shooting for the poster. She texted me yesterday saying that there's barely any difference between her and me [in the poster]. That validation matters a lot. I want her to say this after watching the movie, too," smiles the actor, who will begin filming the Rahul Dholakia-directed project by May.
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Before she faces the camera, Pannu will have to perfect the sport, including her muse's signature cover drive. Raj's friend and fellow cricketer Nooshin Al Khadeer trained the actor for the poster shoot, and has taken over the duty for the film. "She taught me the strokes and techniques. I realised then that it will be an intense training. As a young girl, I was a fielder because batting was a boys' thing; they would say cricket isn't a girl's sport," she smirks.
While sharing the first promotional material on social media, the actor referred to Raj's famous 2017 line — one that highlighted the game and audience's inherent sexist attitude. "[She had pointed out] that no one asks a male cricketer who their favourite woman cricketer is, but the other way round [is so common]. After years of being asked who I want to be paired with in a film, this is where I find a common emotional ground with Mithali."
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