At 25, Ananya Panday finds herself at an interesting crossroads in her Bollywood career, one marked by her keen ability to be the right person in the right place at the right time. Ananya, whose career launched with the glitzy platform of “Student of the Year 2” (SOTY 2), has since embarked on a journey that reflects both personal evolution and professional exploration. This new chapter in her life was recently discussed in an interview with mid-day’s entertainment editor, Mayank Shekhar, during the latest edition of Sit with Hitlist.
Ananya’s Bollywood journey has had its memorable quirks right from the onset, including being affectionately dubbed “ACP” by the paparazzi—a moniker which stands for Assistant Commissioner of Police, humorously bestowed upon her after an appearance at a Mumbai Police event named Umang. The nickname caught on, though it also alludes to her full name, Ananya Chunky Panday, and reflects her connections in Bollywood through her father, the prominent 80s star, Chunky Panday.
While her initial roles were rooted in the glitzy Bollywood template, Ananya’s career underwent a noticeable transformation post her experience with Shakun Batra’s “Gehraiyaan.” Under Batra, she was encouraged to dive deeper into her craft by delving into the psyche of her characters, exploring nuances that go beyond just the written script. This allowed her to develop characters with backstories that might not even make it to the screen, redefining how she approached her art.
Chunky Panday’s cinematic legacy had always lingered around Ananya as she found her footing in the industry. While Chunky enjoyed his share of fame in Bollywood—particularly in genres that ranged from the action-packed “Vishwatma” to the comic “Aankhen,”—his later career evolved to include character roles, something that Ananya witnessed growing up. Interestingly, Chunky also garnered considerable fame in Bangladesh, a facet of his career that remains lesser-known to Indian audiences but continues to inspire awe through tales of dedicated fans from across the border.
As Ananya looks back, her school days were equally eventful, shared alongside notable contemporaries like Sara Ali Khan at Dhirubhai Ambani International School. Despite an initially tense dynamic, with Sara hilariously opting to call her “Aye” instead of Ananya, the pair have cultivated a friendship that stands strong today.
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Beyond education, her foray into Bollywood was undeniably influenced by her fascination with filmi icons and stories she adored from a young age. This passion was unmistakably apparent in her debut with SOTY 2, a film woven into Bollywood’s tapestry by Karan Johar. Ananya relates the thrill she felt witnessing Alia Bhatt grace the screen in the original “Student of the Year,” instilling in her a powerful desire to follow in those footsteps.
Driven by ambition and armed with determination to evolve beyond the stereotype of a quintessential Bollywood heroine, Ananya consciously opted for roles in off-beat films like “Pati Patni Aur Woh” and “Dream Girl 2,” both of which provided her with rich character portrayals and narratives outside of her familiar, metropolitan upbringing. Her approach to these roles highlighted her ability to absorb the essence of her character’s environment, embracing the space given to her by directors to build her character’s world.
This career renaissance also saw her envelope her performances within nuanced, character-driven narratives as seen in shows like “Call Me Bae,” a Prime Video series that cleverly juxtaposes the offline and digital identities of its protagonist. The series, and others like it, delve into themes particularly resonant with GenZ—a demographic Ananya organically embodies.
Ananya’s commitment to her art was further seen in the film “CTRL,” where she was involved not only as the lead but also as part of the script’s collaborative development, offering insights from a GenZ perspective—something the creator, Vikramaditya Motwane, welcomed in crafting the screenplay.
Moreover, her multitude of experiences in workshops under seasoned actors and instructors has fostered an artist genuinely interested in diversifying her skill set and venturing beyond conventional roles. Prepared to decipher both the struggles and rewards that accompany such endeavors, Ananya continues to navigate the vibrant expanse of Bollywood with a blend of humility and aspiration.
In reflection, Ananya attributes much of her growth to collaborators and friends who have accompanied her thus far on her cinematic journey. Her connection with them, and candid engagement with her followers—A community she light-heartedly refers to as “Ananyans”—ensures that her story, qualities, and quirks resonate deeply across audiences both online and offline.
