Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; July 30, 2019)

Ananya Panday recently started the So Positive campaign against social media bullying and trolling. The Student of the Year 2 actress calls it her Digital Social Responsibility (DSR) to ‘fight away what every teenager on social media deals with.’ And now, we have learnt that the 20-year-old has been invited by Isabella Thoburn College of Lucknow to conduct a session on it. To be held on August 1, this will be the first celebrity session ever organised by the college established in 1870, and a first for Ananya, too.

When asked if she is doing any kind of prep ahead of her talk, the youngster says, “I think when you speak from your heart, it works the most. It is about sharing my experiences and letting other people talk. Yes, I want to be as clear as I can with the facts that I have and the exact solutions that I can give to the kids. One of the aims of So Positive is providing clarity about people can do when they need help.”

Earlier, Ananya posted a video, in which she talked about the number of times she had been called various names, from a product of nepotism with no brains, too tall to too thin. “Cyberbullying and trolling is something that people have seen happening, but no one was doing anything about it. I was also confused about how to make a difference. I spoke to my parents about just starting the conversation. That’s where the idea for So Positive came from. I hope it has made some sort of impact as a lot of people came out and supported the initiative,” she said.

"If one person stands up to a bully, everyone is inspired enough to do that,” she elaborates. Needless to say, social media has been an important aspect of Ananya’s growing up years. “I have been on it since she was 14. I enjoy it. The good side is, me being an actor, I can reach out to a lot more people. I can interact with fans and give them an insight into my life, which they wouldn’t have got otherwise as it’s an unfiltered version that I am providing. I also follow a lot of people who I look up to and it also helps me to keep in touch with my friends. It just makes the world smaller,” she says.

She, however, cautions that people only post filtered versions about their lives, which makes everything seem perfect on social media. “People don’t post their failures, but you should realise that not everything is perfect and you shouldn’t believe everything you see. I provide the most real version of myself because I don’t want to set unrealistic expectations for young girls following me. I know how easy it is get carried away. If I am following someone, and I see a bag or a certain look that I want, I start feeling insecure about my appearance. Now, since I am an actor, I have a responsibility. I want to inspire those who are following me, and make them feel that we are real and normal,” she says signing off.