Ananya Panday is hoping to hit the ball out of the park as a struggler from posh South Delhi, in her OTT debut Call Me Bae. The recently launched trailer of the OTT show gives a sneak peek into the world of Bella, aka Bae, a one-time heiress who is downsized to living the life of the common people. What strikes one is the level of comfort and ease with which Ananya plays the ditzy Bae.
Struggle, or rather, the lack of it, has been an issue the actor has had to cope with in her six years in the industry, buy Ananya has silenced naysayers with her recent performances. From a young woman caught in a dark triangle in Gehraiyaan to her turn as an independent woman grappling with heartbreak in Koh Gaye Hum Kahan, she has won nods of appreciation.
“When I started, all I wanted to do was sing and dance on a mountain in a saree. That’s what I thought being an actor was. But the many people I worked with have helped me understand and fall in love with the process of acting,” said Ananya.
Her refreshing honesty apart, the 25-year-old has been conducting herself with poise and maturity. “You need to cut her some slack. She was just 18 when she debuted in films and was learning the ropes. Off camera she was a regular teenager, goofing around, dressing pretty. But of late she has worked hard on herself. Also, she is very guarded about her personal space,” says a publicist.
One of the most sought-after and successful faces amongst Gen Z actors, Ananya has also been smart with her selection of scripts. She headlines Vikramaditya Motwane’s thriller CTRL. “This is one of her best performances to date,” says Anurag Kashyap.
The mega debacle of Liger with Vijay Devarakonda behind her, Ananya’s recent roster of co-stars are upcoming and aspiring actors. “It is a brave and smart thing to do. Ananya is picking films which give her scope for performance, rather than being a part of a starry cast. She has stabilized herself, and this could just be the start of the Ananya innings,” says a casting director.
