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Ananya Panday on Bullies in School: ‘I Was Very Insecure About My Body, Being called a Flat

Sanjana Bailwal2 years ago2 years ago1056 mins

Ananya Panday reminisces about the body insecurities instilled in her by school bullying and discusses pressures of beauty standards in acting.

Last year, Ananya Panday’s performances in CTRL and Call Me Bae earned praise. This successful 2024 , begun by her speaking with Forbes about being called a ‘hunchback’ during school, revealed how the rising actor views the pressure of maintaining a particular beauty standard.

Ananya Panday’s memory recalls the time when she was termed as “Flat screen TV” in school

Speaking on the pressures within the industry to conform to certain standards, in response to how Ananya Panday can help changed view on maintaining beauty standards, she narrates her hurt over body shape since childhood. Talking on this she said- “People assume I am very proud of my body and that I fit into their circumference of beautiful women.

Ananya said “I also have Huge insecurity regarding my body and have had since childhood”

I’ve heard that so many times, but I also have huge insecurity regarding my body and have had since childhood. When I went to school, they told me, ‘Oh, you’re a hunchback, you have toothpick legs, chicken legs, and you’re a flat screen TV.’ I heard stuff like, ‘Why are your arms so hairy?’ and a bit more than that, like when you grew up as a child. Words do matter. The fact that I still remember quite literally what people told me, who told me, 12 years down the line is a clear demonstration of how strongly words stick.”

Ananya has also spoken to the press about how she intends to take the pressure off, stating, “I think as an actor, this is the best I can do about talking it because I have my off days too. Ananya work at it and go to gym every day. If I didn’t, I would also look a certain way. I was in Dubai, ate a little too much, and couldn’t fit into my skirt, and that’s okay. I think talking about that will show people that we are not perfect, and it takes a lot of work for us to look like this.”

Whatever Ananya said..

Ananya was speaking in the midst of their talk: “I actually think it is sometimes good to have space. I think it is okay not meeting someone for 45 days. I don’t think it is too bad. Two months is fine. Distance makes the heart grow fonder,” Ananya said

“As time has passed, the comfort I have with myself over time has affected my relationships too. I had a tendency to become what my partner was. I would adopt their interests. If they wanted to do something, I would give up what I wanted to do and just go with them. I would spend less time with my friends. I would have to change my life for the most part even without them asking. It was something I felt I had to do. I did a lot of my self-concept in the past based on who I was dating, and now I am a little better.”

The forthcoming films of Ananya Panday

Ananya Panday will, in fact, take on Karan Johar’s current romantic drama along with Lakshay in Chand Mera Dil. Directed by Vivek Soni, the film is likely to release sometime in 2025 but does not yet have an official date. She will further share space with Akshay Kumar and R. Madhavan in a Dharma Productions film focusing on Indian lawyer and statesman C Sankaran Nair.

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