CTRL & Call Me Bae: Can Ananya Panday's OTT projects help her break out of the star-kid mold?

A new wave of actors is emerging, many of whom carry on the remarkable legacies of their parents or relatives. Although the nepotism debate continues to be a hot topic, it's clear that audiences of these days can¡¯t be taken for granted. They are brutal with their opinions and now demand value for money entertainment. Naturally, while star kids may secure projects more easily, earning genuine love and loyalty from viewers is no simple feat. Ananya Panday is a classic example of the same.

Ananya Panday Began Her Acting Career At The Age Of 18

Credit: Amazon Prime Video

Beginning her career at a young age, she has experienced both the highs and lows despite a relatively limited number of projects.

For those who live under a rock, Ananya is the daughter of Bollywood actor Chunky Panday. She made her debut in 2019 with Karan Johar¡¯s film Student Of The Year 2, which also starred Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria. Unlike the OG Student Of The Year, which featured Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, and Sidharth Malhotra, the sequel did not achieve the same level of success. The 18-year-old debutant had another release the same year. Pati Patni Aur Woh, in which she played the love interest of Kartik Aaryan while Bhumi Pednekar played the role of his wife.

While the movie went on to rake in the moolah, it didn¡¯t establish her acting prowess.

Gehraiyaan Uplifted Her Career A Little But She Once Again Faltered

Credit: Amazon Prime Video

Her career took an eventful turn when her film Gehraiyaan released on OTT in 2022. She played the second lead in this romantic drama, while Deepika Padukone was the star of this Shakun Batra directorial. This was the first time the audience took notice of Panday, and she received positive reviews from both critics and viewers for her acting performance. It seemed as though Ananya had finally made her mark. However, this recognition proved to be short-lived. Her next film Liger, co-starring South star Vijay Deverakonda, was released a few months later and it dampened the momentum she had built. People wrote her off and trolled the living daylights out of her. By this point, it was clear that Ananya's fame was largely attributed to her privileged background, but genuine admiration from the audience for her work remained elusive.

Dream Girl 2 was Ayushmann Khurrana¡¯s show altogether even though she played the main lead. Was it her choice of roles and the fact that she didn¡¯t suit the adult characters? Well, it sure seems like a plausible answer. The mystery got resolved soon enough with her next release.

Kho Gaye Hum Kahan Brought A New Glimmer Of Hope

Credit: Netflix

In her next release Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Ananya Panday shined as the movie targeted the Gen Z audience and her performance resonated with the viewers. It felt like a perfect fit, like a glove in the hand. So far, Ananya Panday has received praise for projects where she played characters close to her own age, particularly in OTT productions. Does this suggest that streaming might be her true calling? No one has a definitive answer, but logically, with the experience she has gained, it¡¯s clear that making a significant impact on the big screen would require Ananya Panday to take on a unique role and put in considerable effort.

In no way does it mean that OTT is a walk in the park. We all know how badly The Archies tanked, which was unfortunate as it was the debut project for SRK¡¯s daughter Suhana Khan and Amitabh Bachchan¡¯s grandson Agastya Nanda. With two hit OTT films under her belt, Ananya Panday is all set to come out with two new projects called CTRL and Call Me Bae.

Ananya Has Two New OTT Projects Ready For Release

Credit: Amazon Prime Video

CTRL is a cutting-edge thriller film starring her in the lead. The project has been helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane of Lootera and Udaan fame. In the film, Ananya Panday plays Nella Awasthi, while actor Vihaan Samat portrays Joe Mascarenhas. According to the official synopsis, the two are a romantic couple who create content together and are adored by their internet audience. The story explores the consequences of their breakup and delves into questions about privacy in the digital age: How much of one's life is too much to share, and does it lead to a loss of control? Doesn¡¯t that sound like a role tailor made for her? Expressing her excitement about the film, Ananya Panday told Netflix, ¡°CTRL is engaging, impactful and definitely makes you wonder if you are truly in control of your life. I truly believe that this film is for everyone, given the exponential advancement in tech and our rising dependency on it. What better platform to reach the audience with a narrative as compelling as CTRL than Netflix?¡±

Call Me Bae is a web series starring Ananya Panday in the lead role. It also features Vir Das, Gurfateh Pirzada, Varun Sood, Vihaan Samat, Muskkaan Jaferi, Niharika Lyra Dutt, Lisa Mishra, and Mini Mathur apart from her. This show is said to be a ¡®riches to rags¡¯ story. She plays Belle ¡®Bae¡¯ Chowdhary in the series, which will mark her debut in the show format. According to Amazon Prime Video¡¯s press release, ¡°Call Me Bae is the story of Bae, who upon being downsized from heiress to hustler, discovers that her most valuable assets aren¡¯t her diamonds, but her street smarts and style. Broke but refusing to be broken, she navigates the newsrooms of Mumbai, finding beaus, behens, and her better self.¡±

Truth be told, these two projects could turn out to be game-changers for her. Both are youthful, vibrant, and light-hearted, with CTRL aligning perfectly with the new internet age and potentially becoming the go-to rom-com for the younger generation. Call Me Bae aims to highlight her wit and street cred, particularly to those who criticize her for her privilege. The projects are promising; Ananya just needs to give it her all to silence the critics who question her acting abilities.