Liger marks Ananya Panday’s first pan-India film and her second release this year after the relationship drama Gehraiyaan, which released on OTT. In the actioner that just released, she plays an opinionated and no-nonsense Tanya, who is Liger’s love interest.
In an exclusive chat with News18, Panday addresses the conversations on playing just the hero’s lover, the mixed response to Aafat, a song from the film and if the underwhelming response to Gehraiyaan increases the pressure to deliver big at the box office with Liger. Excerpts from the interview:
People feel that your character in Liger is simply that of a love interest. Would you call yourself the arm candy in the film?
I’m not the hero’s arm candy at all, and people will find that out when they watch the film. As an actor, I’m drawn to roles that challenge me, contribute to the story and help me learn in some way as well. I was attracted to the character because she isn’t one-dimensional. She’s layered and has a huge impact on the narrative as well as Liger’s life. She’s pivotal to the plot and there’s so much to her. She’s exciting, fun, kickass and unapologetic.
While both Vijay and you look ultra-glamorous in the video of Aafat, the feedback to it are extremely polar…
But quite a few people have messaged me about Aafat, which felt great. We worked very hard on the song. For Vijay (Deverakonda) and me, our greatest bonding has happened during song shoots. We felt like we wouldn’t be able to dance, so we kept calling each other to keep a tab on how we’ve learnt the steps. And once on set, we constantly and anxiously kept asking each other, ‘What are we doing?’ We got very nervous during song shoots. We did six songs in the film. And Aafat has a nice vibe to it.”
Your last film Gehraiyaan had an underwhelming performance. Many sections of the social media and the press slammed the film for the execution of its content. So, are you taking the pressure of Liger doing well at the box office?
With Gehraiyaan, we made exactly what we set out to, without any compromise. Art is subjective. We were more than ready for the response, which eventually came our way. People had a lot of opinions after watching the film and many discussions and debates followed. And that’s what cinema and art is supposed to do – trigger a conversation. We were happy with the varied response. As for box office pressure, I try not to take it because I don’t think I’m in that position or place to even think of it. I’m here to act and what happens beyond that isn’t in my control. We’re trying to make the best film possible. The rest is up to the audience.
Vijay seems to be a man of few words. Was it difficult for you to break the ice?
No! He speaks a lot. We’re very different people and that’s why we complement each other. We balance each other out. We’re like yin and yang. We get along really well because at the crux, we both are very honest people and we value that about each other. I’ve always felt like we can have an open conversation with each other. I believe that I can talk to him about anything and everything without him judging me ever. I’m sure he feels the same way about me. My equation with him has been comfortable since day one and I never felt like I needed to break any ice. He has been very helpful towards me. With Liger, I’m making my debut in four different industries. It can get very overwhelming but he held my hand throughout the process. He looks out for me a lot. Even amid the fan frenzy in Hyderabad, he told me to just enjoy it. He’s very sweet (chuckles).
But a few of your contemporaries in Bollywood are infatuated with Vijay. Do you feel a sense of victory that you out of them got to work with him?
(Laughs) Yes, I’m very lucky that I’m his first Hindi heroine and I’m very lucky that he’s my first Telugu hero.
Have you watched Vijay’s previous films?
I have watched Arjun Reddy (2017) and bits of Geetha Govindam (2018) and Dear Comrade (2019). He’s a fantastic actor.
Would you be open to doing an out-and-out South film?
I would be open to a South film but I want to learn the language first. I should be extremely comfortable speaking it else it might affect my performance and I wouldn’t want that. In fact, I would be open to doing a film in any language, even Japanese and German, for that matter. I just want to do good films.
