One of her key takeaways from working on Dream Girl 2 has been that ‘comedy is tough’. Ananya Panday, who plays Pari in the film co-starring Ayushmann Khurrana, discussed her role in Dream Girl 2 and future plans at a media interaction.

What was your reaction when you saw Ayushamann Khurrana as Pooja in Dream Girl 2?

Ananya Panday: I wasn’t prepared to see that Pooja was going to be that beautiful. I was shocked when I saw Ayushmann for the first time as Pooja. I saw him from behind, so I asked Raaj sir, ‘Is any heroine making a guest appearance in the film?’ He said, ‘No, that’s Ayushmann.’ It took me a while to adjust, as in ‘this is Ayushmann, right?’

Did you give Ayushmann any tips on imitating a woman’s body language?

Ananya Panday: He was already well prepared. In fact, I learnt a few things from him, like nazaaqat, hip movements and dance as well. I was actually jealous of Pooja because all the costumes, cosmetics and beauty shots were designed for her.

Did you see Dream Girl when it was released in 2019?

Ananya Panday: Yes, I watched it in the theatre and enjoyed it. 2019 was also the year I made my debut in films (with Student of the Year 2). I watched the film again before the narration of Dream Girl 2 because I wanted to understand Raaj sir’s sensibility.

How did you prepare for your role in Dream Girl 2 and what were your learnings from the work experience?

Ananya Panday: This is the first time I played a small-town girl; she’s from Mathura. I understood the importance of getting the language right. I quite enjoyed speaking in the Brij dialect in the film. I learnt that comedy is tough. You’re either born with comic timing or not. At the same time, you have to allow yourself to make mistakes in comedy. I think people are afraid of making a fool of themselves when doing comedy.

Did you feel any pressure before the release of Dream Girl 2 since Dream Girl was a big hit?

Ananya Panday: It’s a mix of both pressure and excitement. It’s good that people are familiar with the characters and interested to know how they move forward. The love that the first film received gets transferred to the sequel. The pressure factor is that the expectations are very high.

Dream Girl 2 is releasing exactly a year after your last release Liger. What do you think about this coincidence?

Ananya Panday: I didn’t plan the release! But yes, Liger released exactly a year ago on August 25, 2022. There’s excitement among the audiences and they want to watch every kind of film. People want to be entertained and I don’t think the cinematic experience of theatres will ever fade away.

How do your parents react to your films?

Ananya Panday: My parents are my biggest critics as well as my biggest cheerleaders. They give me their honest feedback on every film of mine. My dad (Chunky Pandey) tells me to work on my voice and improve my Hindi. I have unknowingly learnt a lot from him.

You are six films old. Would you be experimenting with your roles in the coming days?

Ananya Panday: I have done an Amazon Prime Video show titled Call Me Bae in which you’ll see me doing comedy, unlike just reacting to others doing comedy like in Dream Girl 2. I am doing a cyber thriller, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane. Then there’s also a friendship film (Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan), produced by Zoya Akhtar and Farhan Akhtar.

I want to keep experimenting because neither do I want to get bored as an actor nor do I want to bore the audience.