Ananya Panday: “I Am Terrified Of Rejection...”

Ananya Panday is full of contradictions—she’s strong one minute and vulnerable the next. But then again, she’s just 20! This year has already been a rewarding one for her...she’s just made her debut with Student Of The Year 2, has a new film in the pipeline, and bagged two mega endorsements. As we get to know the new kid on the block, Ananya lets us in on her life, a cause she feels strongly about, and the people she regularly stalks on Instagram.

Our June cover girl is possibly the youngest actor Cosmopolitan India has had in many years. Ananya Panday has just come out of her teens, and already has a big-banner debut movie to her credit (with another one in the pipeline), 3.2 million Instagram followers, and paps chasing her wherever she goes... Things that most girls only dream of when they’re fresh out of high school, you know? Yet, when you speak to her, Ananya has the poise and self-assurance of a seasoned Bollywood star. “Being an actor is the ‘role’ I’ve been preparing for all my life,” she grins. “And now that I’m finally here, that I’m a part of this industry, I am really grateful. However, I’m feeling quite bored right now—like, so much was happening this past year, and now, suddenly, I’m missing being on set, meeting everyone...”

As we talk more, Ananya goes into flashback mode, just like in the movies. “I was 18, and in the 12th grade... I mean, by now, literally everyone who knows me knows that ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be an actor. But I wasn’t keen on taking acting classes. I thought I’d finish college and then audition for films and see where it takes me. I got into USC and NYU and was ready to leave for college when I heard that they were making SOTY2. So I met Karan [Johar] and asked him to guide me on whether I should go to college or become an assistant director,” she reminisces. “During our meeting, Karan suggested I should just audition for the film and I was like, ‘Yeah, why not?!’. I always wanted to do this, and if it didn’t work out, I’d study further. So I met Puneet [Malhotra] and auditioned for the film twice, and ended up getting the role. And the rest, as they say, is history!” There’s that wide grin again.