Ananya Panday recalls being called ‘flat screen TV’ in school.(Instagram)
Ananya Panday earned praise for her performances in CTRL and Call Me Bae last year. The actor, who had a successful 2024, recently spoke about being called a ‘hunchback’ in school during a conversation with Forbes India and revealed how she views the pressure of maintaining a certain beauty standard as an actor.
Ananya Panday recalls being called a “flat screen TV” in school
When asked about her views on the pressure actors face to maintain certain beauty standards and how that can be changed, Ananya Panday recalled how she has been insecure about her body since she was a child. She said, “It may seem like I am very happy with my body and that I fit ideal beauty standards. I’ve heard that so much, but I am also very insecure about my body, and I have been since I was a kid. When I was in school, people would say, ‘Oh, you’re a hunchback, you have toothpick legs, chicken legs, and you’re a flat screen TV.’ I also heard things like, ‘Why are your arms so hairy?’ and all that stuff, like when you’re a kid growing up. People’s words can really affect you. The fact that I still remember exactly what people said and who said it 12 years later just shows how much words can stick.”
She further discussed how she thinks this pressure can be changed, saying, “I think as an actor, the best I can do is talk about the fact that I have my off days too. I work at it and go to the 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.”
Ananya Panday’s upcoming movies
Ananya Panday will next be seen in Karan Johar’s romantic drama Chand Mera Dil, alongside Lakshay. Directed by Vivek Soni, the film is expected to hit theaters in 2025, with an official release date to be announced later. She also has a Dharma Productions film about Indian lawyer and statesman C Sankaran Nair, in which she will share the screen with Akshay Kumar and R. Madhavan.
