Popular Indian actress Taapsee Pannu, who has established herself across Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam cinema, has spoken candidly about some of the uncomfortable experiences female actors face while working in South Indian films.
During a recent appearance on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube podcast, Taapsee revealed that directors in Tamil and Telugu cinema sometimes ask actresses to wear padded bras to enhance their appearance on screen. She explained that such requests often draw undue attention to specific body parts, making the situation awkward for those involved.
She elaborated on the challenges of passing these instructions on set, saying that in many productions there are only one or two women present. This creates a chain of communication, with the director telling the assistant director, who passes it to the styling team or a female member of the hair team, before the message finally reaches the actress.
Taapsee also addressed the trend in South films of emphasising the navel in song sequences. She noted that while South Indian films tend to focus on the midriff, Hindi cinema often highlights cleavage instead. Reflecting on these practices, she admitted that such demands can be both strange and embarrassing for actors.
