While working on the new film Gehraiyaan, Deepika Padukone and Ananya Panday created a mutual admiration society. The co-stars had nothing but positive things to say about one other in interviews with NDTV, both professionally and personally – the 13-year age gap between them seemed to have created a warm inter-personal relationship. “Ananya is younger than my younger sister and I love her,” Deepika, 36, said of Ananya, 23. Deepika Padukone calls Ananya and her sister Anisha Padukone by the same nickname, Annie. Deepika recognized the lively Ananya of Instagram, and she was also pleased by the actual Ananya when they met offline, but the actors had no connection before to Gehraiyaan.
Deepika Padukone, speaking to NDTV about Ananya Panday, stated, “Before we started working on this project, I had never met her. Through social media, I knew just as much as everyone else. I don’t say this to make a joke; instead, I mean it when I say she is exceptionally intelligent for her age. She’s a sharp cookie! Either she hasn’t showed the world that part of herself, or people simply don’t give her enough credit for it. She is also a keen observer, continuously monitoring the actions of other actors. She is continually striving to improve her skills.”
Ananya Panday responded with appreciation for Deepika Padukone, saying, “She also refers to me as Annie, and she refers to her sister as Annie. She often says I remind her of her gorgeous younger sister, which is why she kisses and hugs me. The first thing you notice about Deepika is how warm and affectionate she is, and how she expresses that affection.”
Ananya may learn a lot from her more experienced co-star. “As an actor, I had a lot of opportunities to play her, including simply reacting to her in scenes. I’ve admired all of her performances, but this will be my favorite because you’ll see Deepika in a very raw, real, and vulnerable light, so I’m extremely thrilled for people to see her in Gehraiyaan as Alisha,” NDTV was told by her.
