Taapsee says ‘cleavage vs midriff’ debate misses point, questions industry’s body part obsession

Actor Taapsee Pannu has addressed the debate surrounding her earlier remark that “Bollywood loves cleavage and South loves the midriff,” stating that her words were taken out of context. In a recent interaction, Taapsee explained that her larger point was about the presence of the male gaze across industries rather than any specific body part being highlighted. She maintained that the conversation was reduced to a headline friendly comparison, which was never her intention.

“I feel even in Hindi films, they do focus on the midriff. And the person who was asking me this question said, ‘No, in Hindi, it’s more about cleavage.’ So, I said, ‘Maybe. I don’t know,'” she said, recalling the exchange on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast. The discussion began when she was asked about filmmakers in the South focusing on the midriff of leading actresses, particularly during the early phase of her career around 2010.

Clarifying further, Taapsee said, “For me, it’s about a certain gaze, whether it’s cleavage or midriff. I don’t know what the obsession is, but let’s own there’s an obsession, whether in Hindi or in South. Which part of yours is highlighted, that’s not the point. The point is, there’s an obsession. I never really demarcated it like Hindi is obsessed with cleavage and South with the midriff.”

She also reflected on her own experiences. According to her, she was never asked to alter her appearance for glamorous roles in Bollywood, largely because she did not take up such parts. However, she admitted facing such expectations while working in Telugu cinema.

“It was obviously awkward for the director as well because they had to convey this to me… So, this whole process is slightly awkward,” she said, describing how such instructions were communicated on sets that had very few women crew members.

Looking back, Taapsee said she does not regret doing those roles. “I was too new. I thought this was how it’s done. The director is the captain of the ship, and you have to listen to the captain,” she said, adding that she wanted to understand mainstream cinema before choosing a different path.