“Sara Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor and I, constantly try to be there for each other,” says Ananya Panday

Since making her debut in 2019, Ananya has starred in several projects including the successful Prime Video Original series Call Me Bae. Recently when speaking at Prime Video’s Maitri: Female First Collective, Ananya Panday recounted her initial years as a woman in the industry and opened up about finding her voice. Ananya also emphasized the importance of building a supportive environment for her contemporaries and shared her thoughts on the power of female friendships in showbiz.

Ananya Panday on female friendships in showbiz

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Talking about friendships in showbiz, Ananya Panday said, “I think I’ve become a lot more vocal about what I stand for. What keeps me going is seeing change; knowing that by speaking up or even through cinema you can actually make an impact. Even if one young girl comes up to me and says I am myself because you are yourself and I feel comfortable in my skin, for me that’s where I have done my job. I think seeing change is a huge reason why I keep going.”

She added, “They keep pitting women against each other, actresses against actresses, but with Sara and Jahnavi it’s not a very conscious attempt, we constantly try to be there for each other and support each other very publicly, so that we are showing people this is how female friendships are supposed to be like, don’t believe any other way.”

Launched in 2022, Maitri: Female First Collective is an initiative by Prime Video that aims to create a safe space for women in Indian media and entertainment, bringing them together to discuss their experiences, challenges and successes, and offer their perspective on bringing about a positive shift.

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