Chunky Panday: It feels ecstatic that I am known as Ananya’s father

After much speculation, Ananya Panday has been roped in to play the lead in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year 2 that marks her big Bollywood debut. And her proud father, actor Chunky Panday, is ecstatic about it. “My elder daughter has gone away now to study and I am only going to wait and see the result. I’m so proud,” says Chunky. A quick tete-e-tete with the Chunky on Ananya.

As Ananya has left for the shoot of her first film, are you more nervous than excited?

It’s a mixture of nervousness and excitement. But, I trust our upbringing of kids. Plus, they are hard working competitive. The best you can give them is education and make them travel and see the world. Now, she is stable and has to look after herself.

Is it a bigger relief that she has Karan Johar as a mentor?

That’s an understatement. I must have done some great karma for my daughter to have got Dharma [Productions]. She’s in such great hands that it will be crazy for me to think about anything. I know she’s going to be handled by the best people.

How does it feel when people now address you as Ananya Panday’s father?

It feels ecstatic when you are known as your child’s father. It happened when I used to go to Ananya’s school and kids would say ‘Ananya’s father has come’. I want that to happen in real life and I am sure it will.

As an actor, did you give any advice to Ananya?

I always tell both my daughters that you have to be unique. You cannot mimic and mime anyone else’s success. Write your own story and you will be successful.

What about sharing some anecdotes from your journey in Bollywood with Ananya?

I’m the first generation in the family, who started the trend [of acting]. But with Ananya, I just let her be because this generation has changed. It’s a craft she has to pick and master herself. Whatever I tell her will confuse her and I don’t want to break her chain of thoughts. She’s in a nice space and that’s why I have not even gone to her shoot or sets.

Did you try to protect Ananya from getting over exposed on social media?

I think she understood that herself. She was always private on social media. And that was not my choice, but hers. In fact, I was so proud the day film got announced, she opened her Instagram and there were some 1 lakh followers in a couple of hours and she was so excited. She was over the moon as if it’s her golden jubilee film.

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