Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently said that Ananya Panday is one of his “favourite nepo babies”, mentioning that she became more “mature” after Siddhant Chaturvedi’s remark on struggling in the film industry as a newcomer.
In an interview with The Juggernaut, the 52-year-old filmmaker-actor heaped praise on Ananya for hustling, taking on mature roles and experimenting with a diverse range of movies.
When asked about his favourite ‘nepo kid’, Anurag named Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Ananya Panday and Ayan Mukerji.
Lauding Ananya, the filmmaker said, “I think she has figured it out. I think long back in an interview, Siddhant Chaturvedi had said, ‘our struggles end where yours begin,’ and she took it very personally. Something altered inside her because she changed after that. Something about her changed.”
Back in 2019, Ananya shared people often assume that she gets opportunities in Bollywood because her father, Chunky Panday, was a star. “Just because I’m an actor's daughter, I’m not going to say no to an opportunity. My dad has not been in a Dharma film, he has never gone on Koffee With Karan, so it's not as easy as people think. I think everyone has their own struggles,” she said.
In response, Siddhant had said, “Everybody has their own struggles. The only difference is that where our dreams get fulfilled, their struggle begins.”
Anurag pointed out that Ananya is not playing safe as she likes to experiment with her roles. “After that, I saw her in CNTRL, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, and Gehraiyaan. Something flipped inside her, and she found herself — or she is on the path to finding herself”.
“She is doing great stuff. She is taking risks, and she is quite mature. She experiments. She is not playing safe, unlike others,” he added.
Elaborating on why he thinks that most nepo kids fail, Anurag said, “I think the problem, more than the kids, is that the parents are not letting the kids make their own choices. For the sake of safety, the parental instincts kick in — ‘I am going to protect my child and give them a successful career because I know better’. That’s where the problem lies.”
Ananya is currently busy shooting for Dharma Productions’ upcoming movie Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, which also stars Kartik Aaryan. The film is slated to release in 2026.
Anurag, on the other hand, is set to star in Dacoit, which also stars Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur in key roles. The film is slated to hit theatres on December 25.