Ananya Panday’s Pursuit of Happiness & Honesty
There’s something refreshing about Ananya Panday, the 23-year-old who speaks her mind with a certain irreverence for social mores… It’s her candid approach to life that makes Ananya so endearing, no matter that the very quality has sometimes got her into situations that were tougher than she had anticipated—especially the online trolling. An “over-sharer” and “open book” as she professes, Ananya is willing to make mistakes. And yet, there is a certain maturity to the young actor that has inspired her to rise from her personal challenges, particularly the vitriol on social media. In 2019, she launched the So Positive campaign to spread awareness about how to deal with and report online abuse. And today, she has decided to take a more Zen approach towards social media, with her recent discovery of the Mute button on Instagram…her favourite way to ignore accounts that drain or demotivate her. Ananya is not here for a confrontation; it’s the solution that motivates her.
Professionally, too, Ananya has come a long way since her debut in Student of the Year 2 [2019], blossoming into a performer who’s looking to convey the realities of human interactions… Her recent film, Gehraiyaan, co-starring Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi, has earned her praise for her role as Tia. And with her eye on characters that explore the layered complexities of real life, Ananya is ready to expand her oeuvre…
Yet while the actor has evolved, both personally and professionally, one thing remains: her infectious enthusiasm towards life and work. Read this special conversation with Cosmo as the covergirl speaks about her dreams, family, inspiring women, and why her ultimate goal is simply to be happy…
In the midst of the lockdown, you had shared that you couldn’t wait to get back to work. What state
