Ananya Panday: I am not scared of judgement anymore

Ananya Panday has navigated fame, criticism, and personal evolution in the public eye. Starting out at 18, today, she’s no longer just the industry’s young entrant — she’s a voice for Gen Z battling the complexities of stardom, social media, and self-worth. In this honest, light-hearted, yet meaningful conversation on Bombay Times Lounge, Ananya talks about the weight and pride of legacy, the nuances of modern relationships and why she’s finally free of the fear of being judged. Over to her...

You started your career at 18, now at 26 with a growing filmography and success to boast of, are you less scared of judgment and scrutiny now?
At the start, I was very eager to please everyone. Even now I am, and I hope that people like me, but I don’t feel the pressure. Earlier, I would take a lot of effort to make everyone happy at the risk of not being myself. I am not scared of judgment anymore, because too much has happened for me to be scared of that. I think I am a lot more comfortable in my skin now.


With fame and stardom comes a sudden power, right? And you have seen success at a fairly early age. How do you stay centered and continue to focus on the bigger picture?
The people around me keep me grounded. In the beginning, I used to think that if I said something, for instance, in an interview, then things would change. But I realised it doesn’t function like that, and only your work really speaks for everything. People will only come and pay their hard-earned money to watch you if they like your work and if they like you as a person.

Having seen your father Chunky Panday experience highs and lows in his career, did that shape your perspective?
Honestly, by the time I was born, my dad wasn’t acting that much, and he wasn’t getting too much work. It wasn’t like my parents were discussing it or aisa kuch chal raha tha ki ghar mein kuch problems hai, because my dad always kept doing something, even if he wasn’t on a film set. But while growing up, I sensed the way people reacted to my friends’ parents who were actors versus my dad. So, I would be like, ‘Oh, maybe there’s something different.’ Maybe in my subconscious, it was there. I learned to appreciate and value what I have in the moment and to also give it my best because you’re not going to keep getting chances. You have only one shot at it really.

You have won appreciation for your recent work, like Call Me Bae, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan and Kesari 2, however, conversations around you coming from a place of privilege continue. How do you feel about that?
I’ve always been the kind of person to acknowledge my privilege. Even when I went on Koffee with Karan for the first time, I said that I know that I’m privileged. I know that there are probably people out there who are more talented, better looking and more hardworking than I am. But now I’ve got this opportunity, and I don’t want to waste it, as this has also been my dream since I was a child. So, I’ve taken the shame out of being privileged and I look at it with a sense of pride. My father was a child of two doctors, and his dream was to become an actor, and he became one. He’s worked for 40-plus years, and if I can carry forward his legacy and make him proud, it will be a very big achievement for me. I don’t want to not be known as Chunky Pandey’s daughter. I’m so proud that he’s my father. I don’t want to look at it as a negative thing anymore because people will always have something to say.

Gen Z, like every generation, is battling its own set of problems – like social media pressure, body image issues, a sense of loneliness despite being in a crowd, just to point out a few. As someone living in the spotlight, how do you navigate this, and what’s your advice to young people on this?
There are days when I feel bogged down, when I read some comment or thread online that’s untrue, I kind of spiral. At the start, I would get really emotional and want to come out and say something. Over time, I think I have developed a thick skin, but at the end of the day, I’m human and I do feel bad. So, I would just say: feel whatever you’re feeling. If someone tells you not to cry, don’t listen to them. It’s okay to have days where you’re crying and you are angry and want to let it out. Bottling it up only makes it worse.

Talking about relationships, what according to you are the red flags in a man? Have you ever overlooked those because you have been deeply in love?
Yes, it happens. I think you make excuses for people, and you think that things will change. That happens with me where I change myself a lot for the person I am with – like I start watching the films he likes or if he dresses a certain way, I start dressing like that, which is not good. Again, it comes from that people-pleasing personality trait that I have. You should actually be yourself, and your partner should accept you for who you are. For me, the biggest red flags are the obvious ones – like cheating, lying, disrespecting you in public and all of that. I think someone who can’t be happy for you when you are doing well is a big red flag, especially for successful women. I also feel bad for men because they are often put under this societal pressure that they need to be a certain way. So, given this societal construct, a lot of people can’t fully be what they want to be and who they want to be.

‘There is no one like Shah Rukh Khan’
Ask her about the kind influence Shah Rukh Khan has had in her life, as she’s seen him closely since her childhood days, and she says, “I think the way Shah Rukh Khan handles his personal and professional life -- there’s no one like him. While growing up, I saw first-hand what an amazing father he is to Aryan, Suhana and AbRam and the way he’s been with all of us. He would train us all for our sports day and taekwondo competitions. He was very, very present in what was happening in our lives. Even now, he wants to know what we’re doing and is very involved. Also, when he is talking to you, he has this quality of making you feel that you are the only person in the world. There is no one like him!


Watch the full interview on the Bombay Times YouTube channel: