On the top of your head, when you think of star kids in Bollywood, one of the first names that pop up has to be Ananya Panday. The actress, daughter of Chunky Panday, since her debut with the 2019 release Student of The Year 2 has dealt with the debate of nepotism, often with much panache.
And now, five years into the industry, Ananya seems to have found her footing. Whether it's with her selection of films like Kho Gaye Hum Kahan and Gehraiyaan or just baring herself on Instagram, the 25-year exudes a newfound comfort and even her brand associations now are all about authenticity.
Beyond the glitz and the glam, we found out at the launch event of House of Lakmē’s Glycolic Illuminate Range, that Ananya is akin to the girl next door who struggles with bad hair and skin days. We use the opportunity to ask her if she has any secret beauty trick to handle such situations and her reply, “my hair has a mind of its own and I can’t do much about it,” hits home.
Beauty Behold
She tells us that since her debut, her approach towards beauty has undergone a drastic change and now she’s open to trying out newer stuff. Earlier, you would find the leading lady rocking the classic SOBO girl look with loads of kajal and rosy pink blush. But now that she has moved beyond her comfort zone, you can turn to Ananya for beauty inspiration and that’s exactly what we did.
“I think I have become a lot more open to trying out different things. I have set very simple and realistic beauty goals for myself like drinking lots of water, applying sunscreen, doing some workouts and everything else that adds to my overall well-being. I prefer to cleanse my face once daily, usually in the night. I consistently apply Vitamin C serum, moisturiser, sunscreen and lip balm as part of my skincare routine,” Ananya tells us.
On the pretext of all things beauty, we dug a little deeper into whether a star of her stature, someone who is clicked incessantly almost every day outside the gym, clubs and even salons and touted as the Gen Z sensation, Ananya feels the pressure to look her best at all times.
Baring her heart out, Ananya shares, “I do feel the pressure, but I try not to take it too seriously now and I try to do my bit for people looking up to me. I just try to be myself and be as close to my real self as possible. I don’t fall for any makeup trends or beauty fads.”
Both Ananya and her beauty goals feel relatable and we wonder if the same is the case when it comes to her sense of style so we quickly switch gears to understanding what influences her style.
She tells us that she feels the most comfortable in “track pants or jeans and a white tee.” Ananya has zeroed down her aesthetic to being comfortable and classic and she credits it to her globetrotting experience for the same. Every time the actress is out shooting abroad, she loves to go shopping at local stores and wear a piece of her vacation in the form of jewellery or intricate trinkets.
Beyond Beauty
Ananya, as we figured, is also a jet-setter and suddenly her collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board for a four-part series titled, Ananya Unscripted in Singapore makes perfect sense. She explored the Lion City like a true-blue tourist, on a vintage sidecar!
"One of the highlights of my trip was riding around Singapore on a vintage Vespa sidecar, cruising through charming streets with stunning skylines in sight. It was a filmy moment, I must say. It was such a thrill to explore different neighbourhoods in style, feeling the wind against my face as we glided along," she shares.
Before concluding, the actress drops one travel hack that she swears by and says, "plan very well in advance in terms of recommendations but once you’re at the place don’t get stuck or tied down to plans because the best discoveries are spontaneous and often recommended by the local people there.
Ananya Unscripted in Singapore now streaming online.
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