Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; May 9, 2019)

Pretty, perky and poised, Bhavna and Chunky Panday’s little daughter Ananya Panday is all set to make her Bollywood debut with Student Of The Year 2 (SOTY 2). She describes her debut vehicle to be a dream, which she manifested so strongly that it became a reality. Close to the release of the film, the debutante fields questions on trolls, lessons from her dad and facing bullying. Over to Ananya…

Considering the fact that SOTY catapulted the previous students — Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra — to instant fame, what kind of pressure are you facing?
Fortunately, there is not that much pressure on me alone, as Tara (Sutaria) and Tiger (Shroff) are sharing it with me. It’s just excitement now. Talking about Alia, she was extremely raw when she debuted with SOTY, and today she is a superstar. She has always maintained that she started out as a baby and wasn’t perfect. The audience has seen her through all her stages, be it in Highway, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, 2 States and her other films. People have seen her grow from strength to strength and that’s more exciting a journey than anything else. Like her, I want people to see me grow, too. I don’t want to come across as this ‘Miss Perfect’ and a know-it-all, because at 20, I am raw and don’t know anything.

Alia seems to have inspired you immensely ...
Yes, she is my biggest inspiration. Karan (Johar) asked me who do I look up to, when I met him for the first time, and I said Alia. He told me that the one thing I should learn from her is to be myself. I remember watching the first instalment of SOTY. I was around 15 at that time and not allowed to attend the film screenings that my parents went to. I begged my mom to allow me to accompany them because I was excited about watching it. I sat on the floor as there was no place to sit and was transfixed when I saw Alia. That’s when I realised that I wanted to be an actress and I wanted to be in this film. I have manifested my biggest dream into reality.

Though you auditioned for the part, it’s easy to assume that your filmi lineage must have played a role in bagging this film?
I always acknowledge my privilege and I am aware of it. I agree that nepotism exists and not just in our industry, but everywhere. It can get you into those rooms with important people, but what you do there depends on you. It got me a chance to meet Karan (Johar). He didn’t know that I wanted to be an actor, and asked me to audition for the film, which I am glad I did, and he and Punit (Malhotra) liked it. I will never have to look back and say, ‘Oh! I got this because of my parents’. Having said that, I’d never want to feel ashamed of who my father is as he has worked hard to get where he is today. It’s not fair to take that away. Besides, no one invests money on someone they don’t believe in. So, I would like to believe that Karan gave me the opportunity because he believes that I am talented enough. This has been my dream, and I don’t want to be silly and not make the most of it.

Star kids have to face the nepotism jibe. How do you deal with being judged even before people have seen your work?
The first step of dealing with it is to own it, but beyond that, I want to create my own identity. Also, people will be able to make a fair judgement once they see me in the film, and I would be okay if they don’t think that I am talented. I have been written and talked about by the media since I turned 17. I have been trolled since and it’s normal now. I have become thick-skinned now. I have seen how my dad never let anything affect him. He is always the one to crack a joke on himself and the first one to laugh. People ask me what advice has he given me. All I can say is that he doesn’t need to give me any; he is an example of someone who does not get affected by the highs and lows. He has always been nice to people. He has never changed and that’s something I need to learn from him.

What’s your first memory of Bollywood?
Besides watching SOTY, I remember this incident when Suhana (Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter) and I visited the set of Karan’s directorial My Name Is Khan, starring Shah Rukh Khan. They needed some extras to give a passing shot. We were 10 back then. We thought we had given the shot of our life and waited with bated breath for the scene, but it never came. We were devastated to know that it had been edited from the film. I also worked on Raees as the junior assistant director. I was basically the runner, calling the secondary cast on the set, telling them, ‘Sir, aapka shot ready hai’. It was quite an exciting time for me.

Given the fact that your father has seen his share of ups-and-downs in showbiz, how open was he to you becoming an actor?
My parents didn’t realise how serious I was about becoming an actor until I turned 17. They would see me enact scenes at home with my friends Shanaya (Sanjay and Maheep Kapoor’s daughter) and Suhana, but they never took it seriously. However, their outlook changed when they saw me perform in a play in school and realised that I was serious about it. I had to really convince them that I wanted to be an actor because they have seen my father go through ups and downs. However, they never imposed their plans on me. They wanted me to apply to a college and were fine about me wanting to audition for movies. They have always been realistic.

While SOTY featured three newcomers in the lead, this film has a popular actor like Tiger Shroff. Did it help that he came with some experience?
I met Tiger for the first time when he had already emerged as this big star after the release of his debut film Heropanti. My mother sent me across to seek his advice. I saw him doing a perfect full split as I walked in. He told me that if I wanted to be an actress, I will have to follow a strict regime — wake up at 4 am, sleep at 8 pm, avoid ice cream and outings among several other things. That got the 15-year-old me thinking, ‘Oh my God, do I really want to be an actor?’ After that meeting, I met him directly on the set of SOTY 2. Tiger and I have this bro relationship — he is extremely comfortable around me. I would tell people that he is very funny and I can’t wait for the world to see this aspect of his personality. If he finds a clean spot on the ground, he will sit there. When he is so humble, how can we be arrogant? I think the credit goes to our fathers for instilling the right values. They have had a similar career trajectory. Now everyone considers our dads so cool.

The world of SOTY 2 seems unrealistic, but aspirational. Could you relate to the institution that we see in the film?
There is no such school anywhere, but we have never claimed SOTY to be a documentary or realistic cinema. We are making a fun, masala and bubblegum film. Our objective is to entertain people and make them forget their worries. In my school, we wore uniforms and couldn't apply nail polish or kajal. I had so many problems like body issues, stress and exams. I am really skinny even though I eat like a beast. Everyone wants to have a curvy body and look a certain way, but I think now I am comfortable in my skin. In school, I would always be uncomfortable because my skirt would expose my thin, chicken legs and wiry hands. I would get called a hunchback as I am tall and would always bend down to hear people. This is the reason trolls don’t affect me, as I have been bullied in school.

Like the previous batch of student — Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt — Karan Johar is your mentor, too. How would you describe your equation with him?
Karan always exudes that paternal vibe whenever he is around, not just for me, but for everyone. He has seen me from the time I was born, so we have an unspoken connection. Though SOTY is his franchise, he has let Punit interpret and direct it the way he wanted to. He visited the set only twice when we were shooting a song, but he was just a text message away whenever we needed him, even if it was for the silliest of things.

Your camaraderie with Tiger and Tara is a break from the usual chatter of actors not getting along and fighting over screen space…
I am a secure person. Even if I am in a film for two minutes, I will do it if I connect with the part. I don’t think ki do ladkiyaan hain toh main nahi karungi. My second film, Pati Patni Aur Woh also features two girls. I will never be able to do what I like if I get into such petty things. If I like a script, I will do it irrespective of the screen time. At the end of the day, even if you are in a film for merely two minutes and people like your work, you will be appreciated.

You are extremely active on social media. Didn’t you feel that overexposure on social media could take away the curiosity around you before your movie debut?
We live in the age of social media and should use it to our advantage. Look, we can’t avoid being out there, because if I don’t, someone from the media will click my picture and post it. We can use this tool to reach out to the youth, which is important. I allow people I look up to on social media as that’s a good way to connect with them. So, instead of shying away from it, we should look at it as a blessing. I don’t overthink before posting something. I even write the silliest of captions. I believe that’s what people like; they want to see you being real.

You other best friend Shanaya, who is an AD on the set of her cousin Janhvi Kapoor’s next, is also getting into films. What do you have to say about your close friends joining movies?
I am so happy that Shanaya is getting this experience because I learnt a lot while working as an AD on Raees. Whatever little I know, including the technicalities and camera angles, is because of my time on that set. I didn't know the importance of lighting, nor was I aware of the use of multiple cameras on the set. I can’t wait for her to join the movies. Suhana is also a brilliant actor. Suhana, Shanaya and I are like sisters. We have grown up together. I was Aryan’s friend before Suhana was born. So, we share a bond that is similar to the one that I share with my younger sister, Rysa. They are family to me. I look forward to the time when three of us will work together. And there will be healthy competition, too.