Ananya Panday on Chand Mera Dil and Call Me Bae 2: ‘We underestimate the value of feel-good cinema’

Ananya Panday

Where are the rom-coms? That has been a frequent question asked by Hindi cinema fans in the past few years. It's something Ananya Panday too was missing being part of. Which explains her next two offerings - Chand Mera Dil opposite Lakshya, and the second season of her popular series Call Me Bae. "We'll shoot Call Me Bae's second season soon. I just wrapped a chunk of Chand Mera Dil, which is an out-and-out romantic film. I've done films in a cutesy space, but never featured in a dramatic love story," she tells us.

Call Me Bae 2 is being scripted

With director Vivek Soni's romantic drama and the Amazon Prime Video series, Panday is consciously gravitating towards stories that exude warmth and comfort. Her reason is simple - we can all do with a dose of joy. She says, "Bae could have been easily classified as an entitled character, but I wanted people to connect with her. She is a mood-booster, when so much of the content right now is action. We underestimate the value of feel-good cinema. Playing Bae was healing for me in ways I didn't expect. I want my films to make the audience feel the same kind of calm, joy, and reassurance that the character gave me."

While Ananya Panday shoots for Chand Mera Dil

The actor started out with the mainstream campus caper, Student of the Year 2 (2019). Six years and several acclaimed films later, her criteria for choosing projects are clear today. "I don't want to be part of something because I feel it will be a box-office hit. I have to see an opportunity there as an actor. Also, the older I'm getting, the more I feel the responsibility of making decisions. Every time I watch a movie, I buy into it strongly. So, I know the direct impact that cinema has on people. That's why I have to be part of films that morally align with me. That doesn't mean I won't play an evil character, but the [messaging] should be morally correct."

Playing rooted characters in Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023) and CTRL (2024) has made young women identify with her. Mention this, and Panday squeals with joy, "I am a girl's girl. As a young girl, I [remember] how much I used to admire Kareena [Kapoor Khan] and Alia [Bhatt]. When someone tells me that their daughter loves me, it makes me the happiest."