Ananya Panday Breaks Silence on 'Liger' Script Issues: 'As a Woman, This Isn't Right...'

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Ananya Panday reflects on Liger's script controversy, revealing her discomfort with certain lines. She also promotes her new series, Call Me Bae, debuting September 6.

Unlike many star kids in Bollywood, Ananya Panday has made a mark in the industry with her performances, including her recent role in Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023). While her upcoming thriller CTRL directed by Vikramaditya Motwane is slated for an October release, Panday is currently in the spotlight promoting her debut streaming series, Call Me Bae.

Despite her films, including Student of the Year 2, generally making an impact at the box office or on audiences, Panday faced a significant setback with Liger (2022), directed by Puri Jagannadh. This sports action drama, which marked Vijay Deverakonda’s entry into Bollywood and Panday’s Tollywood debut, was a commercial failure. Produced with a budget exceeding Rs 100 crore, the film earned only Rs 56.18 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk. The film was criticized for its execution, narrative, and misogynistic tones.

Recently, Ananya Panday addressed her discomfort with Liger’s script in an interview with Sucharita Tyagi. She revealed that she had voiced concerns about several lines her character delivered, expressing that some of them were not appropriate or reflective of Gen-Z sensibilities.

Panday explained that she approached the film with a “red flag” mindset, particularly regarding dialogue that she felt was out of touch with modern sensibilities. “Whenever I am reading a script I have this red flag thing going on in my mind like, ‘No Gen-Z person speaks like this.’ This is not okay. It is my duty and responsibility as a woman to be that face and say this is not correct. If I say that people are going to think that it is okay. For example, in Liger, there were a lot of things in that script where I was like, ‘Listen I am not okay saying this. As a woman, this is not correct.’ They actually did make those changes and I am really happy that I did voice my opinion at that time,” she added.

As she continues to promote Call Me Bae, which premieres on Amazon Prime Video on September 6, Panday is focusing on her evolving career and using her platform to champion causes she believes in. The series also stars Vir Das, Gurfateh Pirzada, Varun Sood, and Vihaan Samat, and is directed by Colin D’Cunha.