Actor has worked across Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and Malayalam cinema. Having spent years on film sets in different industries, she has experienced firsthand the songs, the storytelling styles, and the unspoken norms that shape them.
In a recent interview, she reflected on her journey — from her middle-class upbringing in Delhi to her latest film, Assi. Speaking with , she also addressed a subject rarely discussed openly: how female bodies are viewed and managed on Indian film sets.
When asked why Bhojpuri and South Indian song sequences often focus on the navel, Pannu admitted she has wondered about it too. “I’m also trying to understand. It’s not that item songs in Hindi cinema don’t focus on it, but it’s not as much as in South Cinema. Hindi cinema is more about cleavage,” she said.
She then described a behind-the-scenes reality that audiences seldom hear about. According to her, actresses in the South are sometimes asked to wear padded bras during song shoots. What makes the situation more uncomfortable, she explained, is the indirect way such instructions are communicated. A director tells an assistant director, who informs the styling team, who then passes the message to hair and wardrobe staff before it finally reaches the actress.
“Imagine how embarrassing it would be,” she said. “You’re shooting a song, someone gets up in the middle, walks off, and everyone knows exactly what’s happening. All the men are sitting there, watching what looks different when you come back.”
This is not the first time Pannu has spoken about the South industry’s emphasis on the midriff. In an earlier interview, she recalled how the filmmaker who launched her was known for highlighting a heroine’s sensuality through the midriff. She shared an anecdote about a coconut being thrown at her midriff during a shoot. “I don’t know what’s sensuous about a coconut hitting my midriff,” she said with a laugh.
The comment went viral and drew criticism from some Telugu audiences, who felt she had been dismissive of a respected filmmaker. She later issued a public apology, clarifying that she had intended to poke fun at herself and her debut experience. “I didn’t intend to hurt anyone,” she said in a video message. “I wanted to make fun of myself and how my debut film happened to me. It took me a little while to understand that what I said was wrong. I really want to apologise if I hurt anyone’s sentiments.”
The filmmaker she referred to was , one of Telugu cinema’s most prominent directors, known for his distinctive visual style across a career spanning four decades.
Before establishing herself in Bollywood, Pannu built a substantial career in the South. She made her acting debut with the Telugu film , opposite . It was not a brief stint but the beginning of several years of work across Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam cinema. By the time films like and reshaped her image in Hindi cinema, she had already spent significant time navigating South Indian film sets.
Her observations, therefore, come not from the outside, but from lived experience across industries.