Taapsee Pannu, whose 'Naam Shabana' hit the screens today, was yesterday in Hyderabad to promote the film. She interacted with the press after a special screening.

Speaking on the occasion, she said, “The response to my character in 'Baby' was really good. In fact, it was in the midst of all the appreciation that director Neeraj Pandey called me and told me that a story on Shabana`s life would be great, and asked me if I was okay with it. I said I am ready, but if he was okay with it. Because in 'Baby', my character was small and had just a screen space of around 15 minutes. So, it wasn`t easy to make an entire new film on such a small character. And now, after seeing the film, I am thrilled because it has come up really well".

"It`s a big deal when a heroine takes the place of a hero and carries a film. Except for Rana, everyone from the cast of Baby is there in this film. This isn`t a prequel but is an in-depth spin-off of a character. This story is something very new for Indian cinema. I trained in martial arts for this film. It`s not easy to play a spy," she further added.

About her character, she said, "My character Shabana is that of a short-tempered and aggressive girl. It was my belief in the director that helped me pull it off".

The film is directed by Shivam Nair. The Telugu version is titled 'Nene Shabana'.