Here’s Why Anurag Kashyap Thinks Ananya Panday Changed After Siddhant Chaturvedi’s ‘Struggle’ Remark

The whole nepo baby debate just refuses to die down in Bollywood. People love to argue over whether star kids actually have talent or if it’s all just handed to them on a silver platter. Some of them prove themselves, sure. Others—well, let’s just say, the jury’s still out.

Anurag Kashyap recently chatted with The Juggernaut and had some interesting things to say about Ananya Panday. He called her one of his favourite nepo kids, alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Ayan Mukerji.

Why Anurag Kashyap thinks Ananya Panday has matured as an actor

Now, here’s the thing: Anurag Kashyap said he noticed a change in Ananya after that whole Siddhant Chaturvedi “struggle” comment blew up.

Remember that? When Siddhant Chaturvedi pointed out that for people like him, their dreams start where star kids’ struggles begin. According to Kashyap, Ananya took that to heart. He feels like it kind of sparked something in her, a shift.

Since then, he’s seen her take bigger risks—look at her in CNTRL, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Gehraiyaan. It’s like she’s done playing it safe and is trying to carve her path. 

He said she’s maturing, experimenting, not just sticking to the usual formula. 

Anurag Kashyap calls out the real problem

Anurag Kashyap also didn’t shy away from calling out the real problem—he thinks it’s less about the “kids,” more about the parents pulling the strings. He talked about how parents, wanting to protect their kids, end up making all the choices for them. That, he says, is where things go south.

In that 2019 roundtable, Ananya defended herself, saying yes, she’s Chunky Panday’s daughter, but that doesn’t mean she’s had it easy. She pointed out her dad never did a Dharma film, never got invited to Koffee With Karan. She said everyone has their struggles, even if people don’t see it.

Siddhant’s clapback was simple: “Everybody has their struggles. The only difference is where our dreams get fulfilled, their struggle begins.” 

Ananya Panday is busy with her upcoming film Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri opposite Kartik Aaryan, slated for a 2026 release.

Kashyap’s got his own project lined up—he’s acting in Dacoit with Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur, hitting theaters December 25, 2025.

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