Ayushmaan Khurrana & Ananya Panday on Dream Girl 2 and seeking validation with every film

Dream Girl which was released in 2019 was an instant hit and the masses sure embraced the entertainer with open arms. Four years later, the sequel is back titled Dream Girl 2 and features Ayushmann Khurrana and Ananya Panday in the lead. The co-stars are very particular about not wanting to reveal much about ‘Pooja’. They keep you intrigued to get to know it all at the movies. In an exclusive conversation with Filmfare, Ayushmann Khurrana reiterates why it is a commercial film meant to tickle your funny bones and not decode it too much. Ananya Panday candidly reveals about being too self-critical about her own work and constantly seeking validation. Excerpts…

How nervous were you being surrounded by all the comedy actors in Dream Girl 2, Ananya?

No No, I am very nervous in general. Comedy made me even more nervous because of the people I was working with. In general, I think I am an unsure actor. I am always seeking validation, especially from my director who was fine and I am never happy with my work. I always feel I can do better.

Really, you don’t come across like that?

Ananya: No, I am confident in his interview but not in my performance.

Ayushmann: I think it comes with experience. Like initially I used to be very self-critical and felt the director’s point but that’s fine.

Ananya: I am always like are you sure, you’re fine? I can do it again but I am never sure.

Ayushmann: And that’s a good thing!

Has it gotten better from Student of the Year 2 to now?

Ananya: Honestly I think it is funny because I don’t think it has gotten better because in my first few films, I was just so excited that I was an actor. Just going with the ride and having fun. But now that I am learning more about the craft of acting, the more invested I have gotten into it, the more critical I have gotten about it. Like I can see what I can do better and what I can improve on.

So who is your biggest critic?