I was drawn to the realness of the character, the way 'Gehraiyaan' ventures into the darkness: Ananya Panday

'Gehraiyaan' is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on February 11

Bollywood star Ananya Panday, who will be seen alongside Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi in the romantic drama Gehraiyaan, says that she took up the film because It features realistic characters and situations. The star added that she relied on director Shakun Batra to channel the insecurity that is synonymous with the part. Praising her co-stars, Ananya said that she looks up to the Chhapaak star and admires her professional choices

Edited excerpts from the interview with DH:

What made you take up Gehraiyaan?

I was drawn towards the realness of the character. I was also impressed by the way this film ventures into the darkness.

How did you prepare for the film?

I have never experienced heartbreak at this level. I relied on conversations with Shakun to understand the character. It was always about going inward. There was a lot of putting myself into the character's shoes and figuring out how she would have reacted to the situation depicted in the narrative. Then there were workshops to ensure natural chemistry between us,

How was the experience of working with Shakun Batra?

I loved his films Kapoor & Sons and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. He is a director who gives you tremendous space as a performer. Working with him helped me realise that as an actor you really can't always rely on the written material to bring the character to life.

What type of rapport did you share with your co-actors?

Deepika is someone I have really admired because of her choices. Siddhanth, on the other hand, is an individual I share a good rapport with. There is a frankness in our bond.

What was the most memorable experience from the shoot?

Every day was a memorable experience for us. The days/scenes where all of us were together, in particular, proved to be the most memorable.

What type of roles do you want to do going forward?

I feel that I have tasted blood with Gehraiyaan as the character has a sense of insecurity. I want to do more work in this space.

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