Liger, the unsuccessful film released in 2022, represented Vijay Deverakonda's debut in Hindi cinema and was also the first major commercial project for female lead Ananya Panday. Three years following the film's poor performance at the box office, Ananya's father, actor Chunky Panday, disclosed that she had felt 'uncomfortable' with the role and believed she was 'too young' to undertake such a project.

Chunky Panday on Ananya's discomfort with Liger

Ananya was 23 years old when she signed on for Liger. In a discussion with Mashable India, Chunky mentioned that she appeared younger due to her baby-like features. Prior to Liger, Ananya had featured in four films: Student of the Year 2, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Khaali Peeli, and Gehraaiyan. However, none of these films achieved mass appeal. Chunky recalled her hesitance regarding the choice of Liger. “When she inquired whether she should take on this film, she expressed concerns about being too young for it. She remarked, ‘Papa, I am too young to do this.’ I encouraged her, stating it was a commercial venture and a significant film, but perhaps she was correct in her assessment. She was indeed quite young for this role,” he noted, adding, “She felt uneasy about it, expressing doubts about her age and her suitability for the project. At that time, she was quite conflicted.”

Chunky further mentioned that he had recently ceased offering career guidance to Ananya, particularly after he had reservations about her participation in the Amazon Prime Video series, Call Me Bae, which ultimately led to a Filmfare Award nomination for her. “Since that moment, I have refrained from exerting any pressure on her. Perhaps I was mistaken. I come from an old-school perspective and am unfamiliar with contemporary practices. Had she asked me, ‘Papa, should I take on Bae?’ I would have advised against it,” he stated.

About Liger

Liger was helmed by Puri Jagannadh and filmed concurrently in both Hindi and Telugu. In addition to Vijay and Ananya, the cast included Ramya Krishnan and Ronit Roy, with a special appearance by Mike Tyson. Produced with a budget of ₹125 crore, the film managed to generate only ₹60 crore at the box office.

Ananya's most recent appearance was in the Netflix production CTRL, which received critical acclaim and positive feedback. She is set to appear next in Kesari Chapter 2, featuring Akshay Kumar.

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