From constantly being judged for being overweight to giving 246 retakes during Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani's audition: When Anjali Anand opened up about her difficult journey

Anjali Anand gained recognition for her role as Deepika "Deepu" in the popular TV series "Dhhai Kilo Prem." She has also appeared in other notable TV shows such as "Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala", Khatron Ke Khiladi and Jhalak DIkhhla Jaa. The actress is known for her roles in various path-breaking shows on Indian television her performances have earned her praise for her acting skills and versatility in portraying diverse characters. However, it was her role in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani which made her a household name. Anjali has consistently shattered stereotypes throughout her career. The actress recently during a podcast opened up about her life's struggle and her journey of bagging Gayatri Randhawa's character in RARKPK. (Photo: Instagram)

I have always been fascinated by dancing. I was born in the 90s so I’ve always loved dancing. I know all the hook-steps of all the songs from the 80s,90s and 70s. I started working as a choreographer for weddings. My idea was to make them look like heroes and heroines. I would write scripts for them, edit songs and choreograph for them. I would make an entire show for them and make them feel like a hero and heroine. I would stand at a corner and guide them with their steps or clap for them. (Photo: Instagram)

I always dreamt of taking centre stage but never had the courage to fulfil my dreams. After I started the choreography it went off very well. From teaching kids about school annual functions, weddings, and corporate functions. I have taught dancing to half of Mumbai I can say. I would carry a laptop, and speakers in my bag. I would edit songs in the day and teach them to dance in the night till 3-4. Everyone would get free at night after their office and work so for them it was a party but for me it was work. (Photo: Instagram)

After I turned 21, I mustered courage and spoke to my mother about my dreams. I told my mother I’m earning well and can look after myself so I can make a decision. I saved money and spoke to my mother to join Barry John’s acting institute. I told my mother I’ll bear all my expenses. I told her I just wanted to try. The best thing that happened to me there was I was part of every scene. It changed my thinking 360 degrees. I knew everything about movies, and songs as acting was my love. My teacher was Saurav Sachdeva and at the end of my course, I asked my teacher if I had the talent in me. (Photo: Instagram)

After Barry John, I again started choreography. One day I was sitting in a coffee shop to meet a bride and her mother for a meeting of a sangeet. I was hungry and was busy eating and I did not realise that 8 men were watching me. There was one producer and the rest all were from the production team. They waited for me to finish my food. Sandiip Sikcand came up to me and spoke to me. He introduced himself to me and told me Anjali, you are so pretty. He offered me the role of his TV show’s heroine. I was shocked. (Photo: Instagram)

I had never imagined in my dreams that I would do television. I never thought I would do television because on TV girls are usually small, petite girls wearing sarees. I had never seen anyone like me on television. He cast me for his TV show Dhami Kilo Prem. I auditioned for a role the same evening but they were not very sure if I’ll be able to pull off the role of a small-town girl. I was from Mumbai and my Hindi was not that great. But I told them I would work on it. I bagged Dhami Kilo Prem because of the way I looked. They wanted a girl who was bigger, very different from others but should be confident about her weight. (Photo: Instagram)

The beautiful thing that happened to me was when I bagged my second show Kulfi Kumar Bajewala. It turned out to be a very big show and I had such amazing costars and a producer. Sandiip gave me my first break and I would always be thankful to me because he believed in something different. He has also faced many things in life when he was not accepted by people. He could understand the story. The second show had nothing to do with my weight and that was the beautiful part. (Photo: Instagram)

I asked my producer Nilanjana why she cast me and she told me they wanted someone who has a personality that when she enters the room people should know that she has arrived and you did that. I had to prove myself and then I was cast for my role and not for my body. Lockdown happened then and we all had bad experiences because artists can’t work from home. (Photo: Instagram)

During the break I watched a lot of movies good and bad and I felt nobody would cast me as the heroine. Joh Sandiip ne kiya he didn’t cast me as the heroine's best friend which has usually happened. I never saw myself as a heroine. In 2020 I was in a very bad phase, I was literally thinking of leaving India and settling down elsewhere as I had to prove myself. Ek step extra main kyu loon just because I look different I was not ready for it. (Photo: Instagram)

In 2022, I got a call that Karan Johar is casting for a film and he has auditioned a lot of people but he does not like anybody. He doesn’t want to take influencers. He wants to be an actor. Shanoo Sharma showed him my pictures and she knew me as I had auditioned with her for so many years but nothing had ever worked out because weight was an issue. But here they wanted someone who was overweight. I was fairly overweight. (Photo: Instagram)

On television, I would do 14-15 pages of scenes in one go but for that particular audition for Rocky Aur Rani which just had a scene of four lines I took 246 takes to do it. Kyunki mentally main itni hilli hui thi that I could believe that such a good thing can happen to me. I had engulfed myself with negative thoughts that I wouldn’t get Karan Jigar’s film and I’m going to get more disappointed. Mujhe kyu lenge Woh I kept thinking this. I was not able to hold back my tears while I was doing those five lines. (Photo: Instagram)

I just couldn’t do those five lines mere andar se aahe nahi raha tha woh coz everyone has always told me that I won’t get anything. After 246 takes I was able to crack the audition. Shanoo was giving me ideas to do the scene but she did not know how mentally disturbed I was. I got it and till today I’m not able to believe that I was part of this film. We have conditioned ourselves in such a way that when good things happen to us we are not able to believe it. I’ve read a quote that “You have to heal so that you call someone to love you.” (Photo: Instagram)

Then I did Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa for the love of dance. I was again judged “Ye Kahan dance kar paayegi”, I was waiting to show the fire to the world. It happened for 12 weeks and very well. They would introduce me like Chaar Thekedaaron ko jawab dene aarahi hai Anjali Anand. Then slowly my body and weight did not matter and it slowly became about how good looking I was. None of the judges spoke about my body, they saw beyond it. They saw who I was. Arshad Warsi, Farah Khan and Malaika Arora always spoke about my personality and called me a fighter. I am here to inspire people and not influence anyone. (Photo: Instagram)