Bollywood actress Ananya Panday has carved her own path in the industry with notable performances, including her recent role in Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023). While she is currently promoting her debut streaming series, Call Me Bae, her upcoming thriller CTRL, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, is also generating buzz ahead of its October release.
Despite her earlier films like Student of the Year 2 making an impact, Ananya Panday faced a significant career setback with Liger (2022). Directed by Puri Jagannadh, this sports action drama was a commercial disappointment, earning only Rs 56.18 crore worldwide against a budget exceeding Rs 100 crore. The film, which marked Vijay Deverakonda’s Bollywood debut and Panday’s entry into Tollywood, received criticism for various reasons including its execution, narrative, and misogynistic tones.
In a recent interview, Panday opened up about her discomfort with aspects of Liger’s script. She revealed that she had expressed concerns about several lines her character delivered, feeling that they were inappropriate and not reflective of Gen-Z sensibilities. Ananya Panday noted that she approached the film with a “red flag” mindset, particularly regarding dialogue that seemed out of touch with modern values.
She said, “Whenever I am reading a script I have this red flag thing going on in my mind like, ‘No Gen-Z person speaks like this.’ This is not okay. It is my duty and responsibility as a woman to be that face and say this is not correct. If I say that people are going to think that it is okay. For example, in Liger, there were a lot of things in that script where I was like, ‘Listen I am not okay saying this. As a woman, this is not correct.’ They actually did make those changes and I am really happy that I did voice my opinion at that time.”
Call Me Bae will be released on 6 September on an OTT.
