Actor Ananya Panday, 28, discussed nepotism, safety on sets, her dream roles — and how “love is everything” — at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Saturday.
Ananya at HTLS 2026
In a session featuring filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, in conversation with Sonal Kalra, HT’s chief managing editor for entertainment and lifestyle, Panday started things off with a gentle, humorous grouse, in response to a question about Gen Z and perceptions of effort and hard work.
“I think Gen-Z is badnaam (infamous) for no reason,” she said, smiling.
There is the sense that young people do not want to fight hard for success, she added, but “it’s just our definition of success that’s different. Earlier, the sentiment was that if you hadn’t slogged mentally and physically, you hadn’t worked hard enough.” But success can now be achieved in so many different ways. “The way in which we approach success is different.”
Discussing her own journey, she addressed the subject of nepotism.
“I am very proud to be my father’s daughter,” she said, adding that if she can help open the door for others, making sets safer for the next generation of young men and women entering the industry, she would consider that a win.
In terms of dream roles, Panday described herself as a greedy actor, wanting to do every kind of character. “I love crying onscreen, maybe because I am not an emotional person in life. I do enjoy comedy a lot too.”
Amid a discussion of Ali’s landmark romantic-comedy, Jab We Met (2007; Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor), and what it might be like to tell that love story today, she noted that it would be a dream to play such a role.
She added that Kareena Kapoor’s character, Geet, was already quite Gen-Z-coded. “She knows exactly what she wants. And she is not going to change for anyone.”
Which led to the subject of love. Love stories resonate with her generation, Panday said, because there is a nostalgic feeling for that kind of big, enduring romance. “Our standards of love are very high, and we do not want to settle.”
“For me, love is everything, she said, adding: “I would like to be married and have children.”
Addressing the theme of this year’s summit, New Rules, New Realities, the most significant new reality of Indian cinema, Panday noted, was the sense of reassurance from seeing all kinds of movies meet with success.
On Bollywood
“As an industry, we are not following a recipe or relying on old tricks. Something like [the 2025 Malayalam film] Lokah, the story of a female superhero, is working alongside a film like [Ali’s recent release] Main Vaapas Aaunga, which is such a beautiful unhurried film that made its way into the hearts of the audience.”
In a final quick-fire questionnaire, Panday noted that one modern-day obsession the world could do without was “cancel culture”, as a culture in which even a small mistake could see one shunned.
Her biggest takeaway from life so far? “At the risk of sounding Gen Z, my motto would be YOLO. We struggle with the present, and overthink every interaction. I think we should stop doing that.”