Ananya Panday, who faced a lot of criticism and social media backlash in early days of her career, had a major turning point with the 2022 film Gehraiyaan, where she worked with Deepika Padukone among others. In a recent interview, Ananya Panday revealed what her Gehraiyaan co-star taught her, which really helped her in her career.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, where Ananya was sharing the space with Kareena Kapoor and Kalyani Priyadarshan, she spoke about her early struggles in the industry. She recalled, “I didn’t know I could say no, or that I am not comfortable with a dialogue or a costume.”
Ananya then added how she learnt from Deepika Padukone how to speak up for herself. She said, “I saw how much strength Deepika had or how she conducted herself. If she wanted something, she would just ask for it. She did it in such a graceful way — like if she wanted silence on sets, or if someone was in her view-line, or why a dialogue was penned a certain way. She would ask questions. When she did that, I realised that you should be able to do that. Now I am always asking questions.”
Later in the interview, the CTRL actor also supported Deepika in her stance on being able to choose working hours. She said, “I have worked with Deepika, and before she became a mother, there was no such thing like that. She was working, coming for workshops, no complaints and no asking for anything. Now she's a mother, this is what she needs to be present with – her child, in the first two years of her growth. I think it's okay to have a conversation with your producer to find a balance. It's something that can be worked around,” she said.
Deepika had infamously walked out of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit last year, when her demands for certain working conditions weren’t met. Later in the year, she and Kalki 2 makers parted away on similar grounds.
