Ananya Panday will soon perform at IIFA Awards which will be held in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. She is excited about her upcoming film Liger as well. We caught up with her at a recent media interaction held for the highly anticipated event. Excerpts:
How does it feel that you will be performing in front of a huge live international audience?
I was very nervous when I was young. I would watch every IIFA performance and would record it on my set-top box. I am nervous, but at the same time, I am very grateful that they have chosen me to perform in this award function.
What numbers will you perform on?
I don’t know what numbers I will be performing on. This is going to be a huge surprise for me as well.
Pic: Viral Bhayani
Which actor’s performances as an audience do you like the most?
Salman (Khan) sir’s performance is what I love to watch the most. I have always been awed by his performances. He is so natural, and whenever he is performing, I never like to miss it. Even now, I will be waiting to watch him perform.
Tell us something about your forthcoming film Liger...
Liger is a pan-India film with Vijay Devarakonda. It’s a popcorn masala film which is the kind of cinema that I loved to watch when I was growing up. I am happy as it’s exactly like that only. It has every genre in it. I am very excited for it to release soon. I hope you guys enjoy the film. I am very confident as this is one of the films which will make you feel good after watching it.
Who is your biggest critic that you listen to and look up to?
Honestly, I am my biggest critic. My parents (Chunky and Bhavana Pandey) are my critics but are my cheerleaders also. They love me so much they don’t tell me so many things. My younger sister (Rysa), who is a filmmaker herself, is my biggest critic.
How have you made your parents proud?
I hope I have made them proud. They want me to enjoy my work. All the parents wish to shield their children from all the pressures, but at times this is not possible. I am choosing everything on my own, from the scripts to roles, etc. I don’t ask them anything, even reaching out to people; I do it myself. If I make mistakes, I am responsible for them. I share success with them. They feel proud that I take the initiative to do all my things.
In 2019, you started a positive initiative on social media and started awareness. Can you share your experience?
I had a digital social responsibility. I wanted to build a safe community on social media because, at that time, negativity was prevailing to the hilt. Especially on Instagram, everyone has turned hateful. I felt like starting a conversation. I wanted to build a safe community. I spoke to 10 users about how they were using social media. There were a few who used it for good reasons. They had started their ambulance services, and a lot of people were helping stray animals. Some were helping provide oxygen cylinders to critical patients. This was an initiative to show that social media can be used for good reasons.
