There is a new girl-next-door in Bollywood. Anjini Dhawan is set to make her debut with the feel-good film, Binny And Family. While she is giddy about her entry into the movies, she says the experience was made doubly special by Pankaj Kapur.

“I was nervous about shooting with him. But Pankaj-ji made me so comfortable. He told me, ‘It’s my job to give you cues. So whenever you want them, just ask for it.’ His cues are also as good as his performance,” she smiles. Revolving around three generations of a family, Ssanjay Tripaathy’s directorial venture also features Himani Shivpuri and Rajesh Kumar. 

Closer home, Anjini has a popular actor—uncle Varun Dhawan—to guide her. She says, “The consistent advice that he has given me is to be honest and confident.”

As the nepotism debate continues, Anjini is aware that she benefits from access to industry insiders. But she asserts that not a single opportunity has come by without an audition.

“Today, if I’m confused about something, I can pick up the phone on someone experienced. I’m grateful for that. I know not everyone can get that guidance. But nobody can hold my hand and take me through my journey. It’s ultimately on how the audience receives my performance. Being related to someone is not a reason for people to like you. I’ve never been offered a script without an audition, and there have been rejections too.”

That said, she acknowledges that outsiders have it far tougher. “To some extent, star kids get chances even if the audience rejects them because they have someone backing them. But no one has ever offered me a film just because I am Varun’s niece. Even for Binny And Family, the director had seen an old audition of mine.”