I want to do films that make an impact: Ananya Pandey

Refreshed after her New Year vacation in London, Ananya Panday is back home to bask in the appreciation for her Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, a coming-of-age narrative of three friends in the hyper-world of social media.

She’s excited that even while she was on holiday, she was stopped by people, not to click pictures as usual, but rather, to discuss the film with her. “This has never happened before.  As an actor, the feeling is indescribable,” she says, adding, “I was expecting the film to do well, but not expecting to receive this extent of love.”

A character which resonates

Ananya plays Aahana in the film directed by debutante Arjun Varian Singh. Her character is a marketing whiz whose break-up with her boyfriend throws her down a rabbit hole of insecurity and low self-esteem. Her uninhibited and realistic portrayal of Aahana has struck a chord with viewers, and the performance is being described as her career best. She confesses that she is overwhelmed.
“I think Aahana is similar to me, I felt very connected to her. After the film, I realised how her situation is similar to that of most women, who feel defined by their relationships. You could have everything, but when that one person does not reply to you or see you, it can seem like hell. Of course, I have felt like  Aahana at certain points in my life. I wanted to play her as normally as I could. It was also my way of echoing what I have always believed in – that people should be comfortable with who they are.” So how much is she like Aahana when it comes to her relationships? Ananya laughs, saying “I’m a Scorpio and very intense as a person, and very possessive as a girlfriend, to put it nicely. Yes, I have been here, but haven’t we all? So it’s fine... When you love someone, if something is amiss, you should always say so. It is okay to make a fool of yourself, because I’m a firm believer that there should be no regret that you didn’t say something.”

Naysayers silenced

Debuting in 2019 with Student of the Year 2, the actor, with five films to her name, silenced critics with consecutive hits – Dream Girl 2, earning Rs 140 crores, and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, leading global Netflix charts.

What strikes you now is the poise and self-assurance the 25-year-old actor emanates. She says the change is more or less due to the change in her attitude towards work. “There is a difference, in the sense that when I started, I just wanted to sing and dance, that was my dream. But Gehraiyaan especially, and the people I have worked with, changed me a lot, and I have fallen in love with the process of acting. I am focused on working on myself and getting better at everything. I want to add more films that leave an impact, something people will carry with them forever, and play characters people see themselves in,” she says.

Her Gehraiyaan co-star Siddhant Chatruvedi, who plays Imaad in the film, chips in, saying “I have seen her grow as an actor, but I feel this was the right opportunity and right time for her to showcase her skills.” He adds, “We are each other’s lucky charm, and we finally got to know each other well during filmmaking. My humour sometimes can come across as nasty, and she looks out for me. We may well be our characters in real life, given our friendship.” Her “struggle” comment which went viral and his “nepotism” jibe both seem things of the past.

Netizens, once harsh on her, now apologize with a trending “we are sorry Ananya”. The actor, affected by unkind remarks, stresses the importance of filtering feedback, acknowledging the need to distinguish between necessary and unnecessary comments, and developing a filter for public opinions.

Trying her wings

Ananya has moved out of her parents’ home and into one of her own, with interiors designed by Gauri Khan. She posted pictures of celebrating Christmas in her new pad. She had joked at a recent awards show that her room in her parents’ house had a connecting door to her younger sister’s room and nothing was ever hidden from mom Bhavna’s prying eyes. We ask about her solo living experience. She laughs, revealing she’s back with her parents. Despite intending to be independent, she finds it tough to cut the umbilical cord. Ananya’s upcoming project is Vikramaditya Motwane’s cyber thriller Control, set to release in November.