School Of Cool

At just 20, Ananya Panday is earning cred for her authenticity and her innate strength to carve her own career path.

- Barry Rodgers

Like most girls her age, Ananya Panday considers her bedroom to be her sanctuary. It’s where she disappears with her thoughts; where she writes, thinks and hides from the world. It hasn’t gone through too many decor changes over the years, but it’s probably an accurate manifestation of all that’s going on in her mind. She doesn’t spend too much time in there now, considering she lives out of a suitcase, and a vanity van. For the Student of the Year 2 star, life has come full circle. “Films have always been my escape. And no, it wasn’t because my dad (Chunky Panday) is a Bollywood star. My face lit up when a movie came on at home. I was really tiny when Hrithik Roshan burst onto the screen in Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai. I fangirled just a little too hard. Hrithik, and a host of other Dharma films, gave me the kick-start I needed to put my plan of becoming an actor in action,” says the 20-year-old in the tone of a straight-A student faced with a pop quiz.

Panday’s appeal lies in her unique mix of talent and a strong self-belief – a result, perhaps, of a childhood that trained her to walk her own path. She’ll need to tap into these strengths to help her navigate a meteoric rise. “I remember my parents asking me to meet Karan (Johar) sir to figure out what I wanted to do. He told me about Student of the Year 2, and asked me to audition for it. I was over the moon when I landed the part,” she says.

ON HER ‘RIVALRY’ WITH TARA SUTARIA...

Panday was not the only actor to make her Bollywood debut with the film. The other star, Tara Sutaria, also shared screen space. “Before we started filming, Tara and myself were kept in seperate rooms during rehearsals on purpose. The crew would fill our ears with supposed rumours, trying to create animosity between us because we were playing rivals on screen. It didn’t work though.