Feb 12, 2026 3:30pm IST
Ananya Panday: ‘I Admire Deepika Padukone’s Choices And The Boundaries She’s Set For Herself’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Success in Bollywood has often been measured through comparisons, competition and constant scrutiny, but Ananya Panday comes across as someone far more rooted than the labels. The actor asserts focusing on her self-growth without rivalry, ambition without insecurity and the importance of genuine friendships in a competitive industry.
In an exclusive interview with Variety India, Ananya candidly reflects on her friendship with Suhana Khan and Shanaya Kapoor. “I’ve really learned this non-comparison thing from my dad (Chunky Panday) because he’s always cultivated and maintained his friendships. I meet people who’ve known him for 25-30 years and he still keeps in touch with all of them. I’ve never seen him compare himself to anyone. I’ve grown up seeing him be friends with everyone, no matter their position in the industry, and I’ve also tried to maintain that. For me, friendship is the basis for everything - for love, for relationships, for everything. Friendship is the most important thing, and I’m not a hyper-competitive person. I’m competitive with myself more than with anyone else. Especially when it comes to Suhana (Khan) and Shanaya (Kapoor), I feel like if they win, I win, because they’re family. So for me, it’s like I’d always want them to succeed and do well.”
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Ask Ananya about her ‘me-time’ with her girls and Ananya shares, “There’s nothing different or special. We’re talking about all the same things, just watching some junk reality TV, gossiping about our lives, about our work days now. We’re in the same profession, so they understand me better than anyone else. I have a group of my school friends, but they all work in different fields. So when I have to talk about acting and work, Suhana and Shanaya are my go-to people. It’s really as normal as it gets.”
Ananya has often been discussed alongside actors who debuted around the same time. When asked to name three things she did to raise her game, the actor says, “I don’t really think like that. I don’t compare myself to others because I feel like everyone has a space, and a film is meant for you, will come to you. Sometimes one feels bad that a film you auditioned for, didn’t work out, and went to someone else. But when the film eventually comes out, you’re like, “The person they went with, was right for the part.” So, I focus on my own craft and bettering myself.” She further weighs whether a demanding career at her age is a boon or sometimes a burden. “Everything has its pros and cons,” states the actor, adding, “I’m privileged to be able to do a job I love every single day, and even when I’m tired or sleepy, the fact that I get to wake up the next morning and still do what I love is exciting.”
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In the film industry, ambition was long seen as a taboo for women. When asked to rate her ambition on a scale of 1 to 10, the actor shares, “I’m very ambitious, but not ambitious at the cost of wanting to pull someone else down. I know exactly what I want to do. I admire how Deepika Padukone has done it. The choices she’s made, the boundaries she’s set for herself - has paved the way for so many girls coming after her. I like that we can have such an impact on other women in the industry and also women who are watching us. My favourite part about our job is the influence we have, the impact cinema can make on people.”
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