Ananya Panday Shares Her Dream Collaborations and Future Genre Aspirations

The rising Bollywood star opens up about her desire to work with directors like Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, while exploring new genres in her acting journey.

Since her debut in 2019 with Student of the Year 2, Ananya Panday has worked with a variety of notable filmmakers, including Mudassar Aziz (Pati Patni Aur Woh), Shakun Batra (Gehraiyaan), Arjun Varain Singh (Kho Gaye Hum Kahan), and Vikramaditya Motwane (CTRL). However, despite her growing filmography, the young actress has a long list of directors she still dreams of collaborating with, including Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

In a recent conversation with PTI, Ananya expressed her desire to work with Karan Johar in a full-fledged role. While she did appear in a song in his latest film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani alongside Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh, she shared her hopes of starring in a lead role under his direction someday.

Another director on Ananya’s wish list is Zoya Akhtar. Although Panday worked with Akhtar on Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, where Zoya served as writer and producer, the actress aspires to be part of a project where Akhtar directs. Ananya also revealed her admiration for Sanjay Leela Bhansali, expressing that working with the Heeramandi director has always been a dream of hers. “Sanjay is an all-time favorite,” she said, emphasizing that her list of dream collaborators is long.

When asked about the types of roles and genres she hopes to explore in the future, Ananya shared her interest in taking on a romantic film, a horror movie, and even a biopic. The actress, known for her sense of fashion and social media presence, added that she has always been open to new opportunities and collaborations. “The opportunities I’m getting now are a lot more fulfilling and satisfying as an actor,” she said.

Reflecting on her career so far, Ananya admitted that while her journey has come with its fair share of criticism and challenges, she has no regrets. With each project, she continues to grow and evolve, embracing the lessons along the way.