Ananya Panday is currently seen opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in Raaj Shaandilyaa’s Dream Girl 2. The film, which also stars Paresh Rawal, Asrani, Rajpal Yadav, Seema Pahwa, Annu Kapoor, Vijay Raaz, Manjot Singh, and Abhishek Banerjee, hit the silver screens on August 25. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actress for an exclusive tête-à-tête. Excerpts:
Considering your co-star Ayushmann also plays ‘Pooja’ in Dream Girl 2, how did it feel to do a ‘two heroine’ film?
I have done so many two heroine films, it feels almost like being home (laughs). But, it took me some time to adjust to the fact that there’s a man who looks like a girl next to me in the frame. When Ayushmann used to be in the outfit, I felt almost as if I was interacting with a girl.
What were your challenges on being a new entrant in the cast of Dream Girl 2?
I was a new entrant but everyone else in the cast made me feel so comfortable. There were no challenges as such but I worked on getting my look and dialect right. I lived in my Bandra house so far so I had to see how a girl from Mathura would be. I feel it’s the greatest power of being an actor that you can learn from anyone around you.
Do you believe that comedy comes to you naturally since it’s in your genes?
Pati Patni Aur Woh was more like a romantic drama but Dream Girl 2 is more of a situational comedy. My character Pari is almost like the audience as she doesn’t know anything. She is just reacting throughout. In my OTT show Call Me Bae, I will be doing a lot of slapstick comedy. I learned a lot from the people on this set and imbibed that in my show.
Do you feel that it is safer to do a film like Dream Girl 2 in today’s day and age?
I think, if Dream Girl 2 would have come 20 years ago then also it would have been perceived in the same way. The film has no social message rather it is purely a family entertainer and such films never go out of fashion. They are always loved by people.
Were you upset with Liger’s box office failure?
I think one should take everything in their stride. There’s always something to learn from every experience. It actually makes you understand what went wrong and how one can be better. I don’t believe in keeping on sulking over things. Rather, I move on.
How do you see the emergence of OTT?
The only constant is the change. One can do so many different projects without being judged. As an actor, it gives an opportunity to explore. Experimenting is normalised now on OTT.
