Powerful performances, fashion, sustainability, style and fitness — Taapsee Pannu’s name is synonymous with a lot of things. But ask her about the one thing that really looks forward to, and the Haseen Dillruba actor says, travelling. “Travelling has been my only refuel for years,” she tells indianexpress.com.

Taapsee, who recently travelled to Russia with her sister Shagun, says travelling helps her “relax, get back on [her] feet and be in the right mind space”.

In an exclusive interaction, the actor talks about much more — from fashion to health and the pandemic. Excerpts:

You have always experimented with fashion — whether it is wearing sneakers with saris or teaming it with a top. How do you describe your personal style?

For me, the main thing is comfort. I love wearing cotton fabrics as they are extremely breathable and easy to move around in. What I have realised is my style is constantly evolving as it keeps changing with my mood, the weather, the time and even the city I’m in. My style is also influenced by the character I am playing. It’s an easy-going, cool and effortless vibe that I lean towards. Also, layering is key. For example, I feel wardrobe essentials like shorts, tops and even sarees made from my favourite summer fabric — cotton — can be mixed and matched and worn in different ways. I also love accessorising my outfits with statement scarves and sunglasses, that I keep handy with me at all times.

Accessories can make or break your look — how important is the choice of eyewear when it comes to completing a look for you?

Eyewear is everything. It can make or break your choice of outfit for that particular day or occasion. Fortunately, I have rarely come across a design, shape or rather a style that I don’t like. Vogue Eyewear is definitely my go-to brand for eyewear as it is not just trendy and affordable, but also never disappoints with its versatile designs and styles.

Is there any fashion trend/style that you prefer to stay away from?

To be honest, I’m not someone who tends to follow trends, as they constantly keep changing. So I cannot really say that I prefer to stay away from any trend in specific. I think it is important for everyone to find and develop their own unique sense of style that showcases their personality in the best possible manner.

I’m not someone who tends to follow trends, as they constantly keep changing, the actor said. (Photo: PR handout)

Not only fashion, but you also set massive fitness goals. What does your daily workout regime consist of?

My workout regimes change according to the roles I am prepping for, in terms of the type of workout and the intensity of it. But, I always make it a point to begin my mornings with a good session, and stick to a routine at least six days a week. In fact, I started going to the gym only when I was prepping for the role of Rashmi Rocket and was extremely happy with the results. I also like mixing my workout regimes with yoga.

Can you share some simple health/wellness mantras you swear by?

The main mantra that I can share with everyone is to always make time for self-care. As much as possible, I try to eat freshly cooked food and drink plenty of water. A good night’s sleep is so important, especially for me since my sleep cycle must be regulated. How you feel on the inside, directly relates to and reflects what others can see on the outside.

The pandemic affected everyone differently — what has been your biggest pandemic lesson?

The biggest pandemic lesson that I have learnt is that we need to stop making long term plans and focus on ‘today’; because you do not know what is going to happen next and how your plans will be altered. The future is not in your control and you can’t do much about it. It is, therefore, best to enjoy and live each day as it comes and to also make the most of our time every day.

Did the lockdown(s) give you time to indulge in something that you wished for long but did not get the time?

I am not someone who generally stays at home for a long time due to my shoot schedules, and especially since the time I had moved into my new apartment, I had been constantly traveling for shoots. During the lockdown(s), I was able to spend time at both my apartments. My sister and I also found the time to do small things at home such as adding to the interiors, as we have done up the space ourselves without consulting any interior designer and we could enjoy the small space that we have created for ourselves.

Your social media is proof that you love to travel. How was it to travel to Russia recently amid the pandemic?

With the restrictions and guidelines to be followed things did feel different when I travelled to Russia. But once I had reached the destination, I realised at least during that time they had things under control because we were allowed to move around without masks as people were not overcrowding. Thus, there was enough space in public places as well. It gave me a sense of hope that life can and will be back to normal soon. Thus to sum it up, the travel experience was taxing in terms of all the steps, guidelines and precautions that needed to be followed, but once I had reached the destination, the experience was pretty close to the ‘regular normal’.

One thing you are really looking forward to once things are back to normal…

I definitely look forward to travelling more often, as at the moment, the frequency of my travelling has drastically decreased. It is the only kind of unwinding I do in between my films; it helps me to relax, get back on my feet and be in the right mind space. Travelling has been my only refuel for years and I want to get back to doing that soon.