'Saiyaara' star Aneet reveals she lied to parents about auditions
What's the story
After the massive success of Saiyaara, actor Aneet Padda has garnered major attention in Bollywood. In her first interview since the film's release with The Hollywood Reporter India, she revealed how she secretly filmed auditions at home. Padda spoke about her early struggles and how she hid her acting ambitions from her parents.
Career beginnings
'I locked my door and...'
Padda shared that she had to take matters into her own hands as her parents couldn't afford to take her to Mumbai for auditions. "I always wanted to act. I would be recording auditions and locking my door, telling my parents I was doing homework." "I knew I'd have to do this on my own because my parents didn't have enough money to take me to Mumbai to audition," she said.
Background
On her family and friends
Padda is originally from Amritsar, Punjab, and finished her schooling at Spring Dale Senior School. She later graduated from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University, while simultaneously modeling for advertisements. Despite her newfound fame, Padda remains grounded and values the opinions of her family and friends above all else. "My mom, my dad, my friends, that's what matters. Anyone else, I really don't care," she said.
Career progression
Padda's journey in the industry
Padda made her acting debut with a cameo in the 2022 movie Salaam Venky, which starred Kajol. After that, she got her first lead role in the Prime Video series Big Girls Don't Cry, where she played Roohi. Interestingly, Padda also wrote, composed, and performed an original track for the series titled Masoom. Her breakthrough, however, recently came with Saiyaara, which became a massive box office hit this year.
Film success
'Saiyaara's success and impact on Padda's career
Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri and featuring Ahaan Panday alongside Padda, has reportedly emerged as the highest-grossing romantic film in Bollywood history. It earned approximately ₹568.84 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk. The Yash Raj Films-backed movie resonated with audiences and proved that traditional love stories still have a huge market in today's cinema.