Ananya Panday reveals struggling with imposter syndrome; 'I constantly need validation'

Bollywood actress Ananya Panday, who is currently riding the success wave for her Netflix film CTRL,constantly seeksvalidation from others since she doubts hertalent and skills. In a recent interview, she revealed that she suffers from imposter syndrome, which isthe tendency to believe that your success and achievements are undeserved and that someday people will realise that you're an imposter or a fraud.

In a conversation with News18, the actress shared, "My imposter syndrome comes from something as simple as when someone says my name. During interviews and stuff, I feel like my name isn't really mine, and it makes me feel like a third person. That pushes me to suddenly become like someone else. When I see myself on a billboard, I feel like it's not me that I'm looking at. The same thing happens when I watch one of my films. I watch them like an audience member and forget that it's actually me on screen."

In the same interview, she also revealed that she constantly seeks validation and she often reshoots scenes to attain perfection on sets. "I constantly need validation because I'm very hard on myself. Even when a director okays my shot, I'm never happy with it. I always feel like I could've done it better. If it were up to me, I'd reshoot everything all the time because I know I can always improve," she added.

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Ananya is no stranger to social media trolling. When the nepotism debate was at its peak in Bollywood, she often got flak online for having ties with Bollywood biggies and many discredited her talent, stating that she mostly got opportunities because she is actor Chunky Pandey's daughter.

When the actress was asked if her imposter syndrome stems from online hate, she added, "It depends on the day. Some days, I read something negative and I'm not affected by it. Other days, I keep thinking about how one person on Instagram said I suck, and I start to believe that I might actually suck. This happens more when I'm already having a bad day on set, where I'm struggling with a shot. It's strange how social media can stay in your mind and impact you in bad ways."

Also watch:Vihaan Samat CTRL Interview: Erasing exes and Ananya Panday | WION Originals

Ananya has portrayed a social media influencer in back-to-back two projects. While Call Me Bae got a lukewarm response from the audience and critics, CTRL has mostly received positive reviews online.

WION's review of CTRL reads, "The movie is sharp and keeps you engaged throughout with its suspenseful storyline. While we have had a lot of movies and shows on similar themes, I enjoyed CTRL due to the presentation, concise and crisp storyline and effective editing." Check out the full review here.