Ananya Pandey Highlights Deepika Padukone's Influence On Younger Female Actors For Empowerment

Actor Ananya Panday has expressed admiration for Deepika Padukone, describing her "Gehraiyaan" co-star as an inspiring figure who supports everyone on set with kindness. Reflecting on their collaboration in Shakun Batra's 2022 relationship drama, Ananya mentioned that Deepika has encouraged her to express herself more confidently.

"When I started out in the industry, I didn't really know that one could really stand up and reinforce what they want. I used to simply do what I was asked to do. Deepika is a woman who stands up for every person on the set, in a very polite way. "Whenever a girl speaks up she is called bossy, or difficult to work with, but she used to convey her needs in a very polite and empathetic way, which made me realise that there is a way in which you can do this," the "Call Me Bae" star said during the 'O Womaniya! 2024' roundtable.

Ananya shared that working closely with Deepika has empowered her to be more mindful of her decisions. She now feels confident to voice discomfort about certain actions or dialogues. This change stems from not wanting young girls to see her portrayed negatively on screen.

The roundtable discussion also included actors Richa Chadha and Parvathy Thiruvothu, along with filmmakers like Shakun Batra and Nikkhil Advani. Writer Ishita Moitra and Stuti Ramachandra, director & head of production at International Originals, Prime Video India, were also present.