EXCLUSIVE: Ananya Panday admits she once “cringed” at her own voice and expressions; says, “I used to doubt everything that I did”

Ananya Panday opened up about her evolving relationship with her craft during an exclusive conversation with Rohit Khilnani on Bollywood Hungama’s Hangout at IFP. The actress spoke candidly about how her early years in the industry were marked by self-doubt, discomfort, and a reluctance to watch or listen to her own work.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Ananya Panday admits she once “cringed” at her own voice and expressions; says, “I used to doubt everything that I did”

 

Looking back, she admitted that she once struggled with even the smallest aspects of performance. “When I started out, I used to doubt everything that I did,” she said. She revealed that she would leave the room when people played her trailers on their phones because she disliked hearing her own voice. “I used to cringe at my own expressions and my face,” she added, describing a phase where she was hypercritical of herself.

 

Over time, Panday says she has found a healthier balance. The change, she believes, came from the people she worked with. Directors Shakun Batra and Vikramaditya Motwane, she shared, gave her the space to grow and experiment. Their trust helped her shed the fear of being judged and encouraged her to contribute ideas on set.

 

“They believe in you so much and they give you so much freedom to contribute and come up with different things that as an actor, you start believing in yourself,” she said. Panday now feels more grounded and assured in front of the camera, no longer second-guessing every choice. “I’ve become a lot more confident as an actor and I’m less afraid to take risks,” she explained.

 

 

Her journey, she noted, has been about silencing unnecessary self-judgment and embracing the confidence required to perform with conviction. It’s a shift she continues to lean into as she prepares for the next phase of her career.

 

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Ananya Panday speaks on dropping Gen Z mannerisms to play a 1920s character in Kesari Chapter 2; says, “I had to work on the way she talks and walks”

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