Dream Catcher

She may be the most photographed and interviewed Gen-Z star in the country right now, but there's no denying that Ananya Panday has been putting in the work.

- By SONAKSHI SHARMA. Photographed by DELALI AYIVI. Styled by SAMAR RAJPUT

For her first Vogue India cover, the actor flits through the set in a dreamlike trance—cocooned in couture, standing still among birds in flight, reaching out only to grasp her own hand—while fielding questions sourced from her nearest and dearest. “It’s giving Moira Rose,” exclaims Ananya Panday, referring to Catherine O’Hara’s character in Schitt’s Creek (2015–2020), sending a wave of giggles across the room. The actor is balanced on a pedestal in a black and white faux-feather-like ruffled dress reminiscent of an angel’s wings, gazing deep into the camera. After a burst of images, she stands back up without anybody’s help and patiently waits for direction on the next pose. It’s evident that Panday is hardworking—the range of movies she has appeared in over the last year is a testament to—but she’s putting in overtime for her first Vogue India cover. “Every detail matters, and I want to do my best,” she says, revealing a sliver of the passionate Scorpio she is before getting back into character for another shot. This time, she’s grooving to Charli XCX’s ‘365’, which is amusing, because, with her Bambi eyes, Type A personality and can-do attitude, she seems to be anything but brat.

That sincerity isn’t just for show. It’s also apparent in her recent work, from Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023) to Call Me Bae (2024) and CTRL (2024). In 2024, she was booked and busy, but as she looks to 2025, she’s chasing a sense of “balance between her life and work”, which has remained elusive. So who better than the people closest to her to ask her questions that reveal unheard stories? Here’s what she has to say.

Suhana Khan: From watching America’s Next Top Model (2003–2018) together to being on the cover of Vogue India, how have you evolved as an actor and as a person?