Ananya Panday Opens Up About Body Insecurities: 'I Was Called A Flat Screen TV In School'

Ananya Panday recently spoke to Forbes India about being called a "hunchback" during her school years and her perspective on the pressure to meet certain beauty standards as an actor.

Ananya Panday talks about being body shamed in school.

Source : Instagram

Ananya Panday received acclaim for her performances in CTRL and Call Me Bae last year. Following her successful 2024, the actor recently spoke to Forbes India about being called a "hunchback" during her school years and her perspective on the pressure to meet certain beauty standards as an actor.

Ananya Panday recalls being called a "flat screen TV" in school

When asked about the pressure actors face to uphold beauty standards and how this can be changed, Ananya Panday shared her childhood insecurities about her body. She explained, "It may seem like I am very happy with my body and that I fit ideal beauty standards. I’ve heard that so much, but I am also very insecure about my body, and I have been since I was a kid. When I was in school, people would say, 'Oh, you’re a hunchback, you have toothpick legs, chicken legs, and you’re a flat screen TV.'

I also heard things like, 'Why are your arms so hairy?' and all that stuff, like when you’re a kid growing up. People's words can really affect you. The fact that I still remember exactly what people said and who said it 12 years later just shows how much words can stick."

 

 

 

 

 

 

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She went on to discuss how this pressure might be alleviated, adding, "I think as an actor, the best I can do is talk about the fact that I have my off days too. I work at it and go to the gym every day. If I didn’t, I would also look a certain way. I was in Dubai, ate a little too much, and couldn’t fit into my skirt, and that’s okay. I think talking about that will show people that we are not perfect, and it takes a lot of work for us to look like this."

Ananya Panday's upcoming movies

Next, Ananya Panday will star in Karan Johar's romantic drama Chand Mera Dil, alongside Lakshay. Directed by Vivek Soni, the film is slated for release in 2025, with the official date yet to be announced. She also has a Dharma Productions film about Indian lawyer and statesman C Sankaran Nair, where she will share the screen with Akshay Kumar and R. Madhavan.