Ananya Panday Had No Acting Training, Tiger Shroff Had To "Move Her Between Shots"

In a new interview, Ananya Panday shared her thoughts on her acting journey, her lack of knowledge and experience in films, and how she has evolved through the projects she has worked on so far.

In the interview with Forbes India, Ananya reflected on her journey in the Hindi film industry, revealing that she began with no experience in the filmmaking process while shooting for Student of the Year 2. She also shared that, as a child, she visited her father Chunky Panday’s film sets only a few times, and was not really exposed to the workings of film sets.  

Ananya admitted that she had no formal training in acting and was very raw when she started her career. She said, “Tiger Shroff used to literally move me between shots to show me how to catch the light and hit my mark. I didn’t have a process; I was just enjoying every bit of it.”  

Reflecting on her growth, she mentioned that she has evolved significantly through the performances she has delivered and the directors she has collaborated with.  

Ananya also discussed how she has always considered herself a director’s actor, following her directors’ instructions without questioning or offering opinions, as she was initially afraid to do so. 

However, it was Shakun Batra, the director of Gehraiyaan, who encouraged her to use her own understanding and apply it to her craft while performing. She described this experience as transformative; an experience that helped her grow as an actor.  

Ananya will next appear in Chand Mera Dil, produced by Dharma Productions and directed by Vivek Soni, alongside Lakshya. The film is slated for release in theatres later this year.