Recently, Ananya Panday addressed the false rumours that had been spread online about her being a bully, a cheat, and lying about her educational achievements.
Actress, Ananya Panday has been basking in the glory of her recent success with projects like CTRL, Call Me Bae, and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan. However, that is not to say that her journey, both in and outside the industry, has been completely hiccup-free. Ananya was subjected to harsh name-calling while in school. Not only that, when she entered the industry, false accusations were hurled at her. Recently, the actress opened up about the emotional difficulties she faced because of these incidents.
Ananya Panday recently appeared on Barkha Dutt's Mojo Story, during which she opened up about her initial experiences with social media while still in school. The actress opened up about the cruel names she was called back then. However, she reflected that due to social media, millions of people could now say hurtful things. Thus, it was important to look at self-love as a 'journey' and not a 'destination.' In Ananya's words:
"When I was in school, social media had just started. I was called all sorts of things, like hunchback, flat screen, chicken legs… That was in school, we were in our bubble. Now, because of social media, the smallest voice can be amplified. It did affect my self-confidence, it still does today. Self-love is a journey, not the destination."
Ananya Panday also revealed being struck by the harsh reality that everyone faces criticism for the first time. According to her, this realisation came when her younger sister, Rysa started objecting to being tagged on Instagram. Ananya said :
"I'm an actress. I'm in a position of power. Sometimes I have to be on social media even if I don't want to be on social media. Some days I definitely don't want to be on social media. But I also saw the impact on my younger sister Rysa. She's not an actor and has no plans of becoming one, but every time we posted a picture of her, she would say, 'Don't tag me, because people follow me and message me nasty things'."
During the conversation, Ananya Panday also looked back over the time when somebody spread fake rumours about her online. The incident took place during Ananya's very first year in the industry, following the release of her debut film, Student of the Year 2.
For the unversed, someone had made a fake Instagram account, claiming to have been in the same school as Ananya. They alleged that Ananya had bullied kids from regular households and had cheated on her boyfriends. Not only that, they also questioned the authenticity of Ananya's academic achievement. Earlier, the actress had revealed being accepted by a number of prestigious universities in the US. However, she decided to forego the same to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.
Ananya also confessed to not paying much heed to the rumours as she thought no one would believe them. But when she saw people accepting the absurd claims as truth, it really upset her. Eventually, Ananya took to Instagram to address the allegations with a lengthy post, part of which could be read as:
"As for the people who have been trying to pull me down with these accusations, I would like to send you all lots of love, peace and positivity. And would also like to say that even though they're claiming to be my classmates (nameless and faceless) – I'm sure they aren't because I've grown up with the people I went to school with and they would never do something like that."
Check out the post here.
What do you think about Ananya Panday's revelations about her tough times?
Also Read: YS Sharmila Debunks Age-Old Relationship Rumours With Prabhas, Claims She Has Never Met Him