Born on October 30, 1998, Ananya Panday is the daughter of Bollywood actors Chunky Pandey and Bhavana Panday. Ananya has a younger sister, Rysa Panday. Ever since filmmaker Karan Johar officially introduced Ananya as one of the cast members of Student of the Year 2 along with Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria, the pretty lady became the talk of the town. (All photos/Ananya Panday`s official Instagram account and mid-day archives)

Soon, Ananya Panday became a social media sensation even before her Bollywood debut was announced

Ananya Panday completed her schooling at Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai, and did her graduated from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles

Alia Bhatt, who started her Bollywood journey with `Student Of The Year`, is Ananya Panday`s idol. She hopes to grow into a versatile artist like her idol

In 2018, Ananya Panday was featured in Vanity Fair`s 2018 edition along with Hollywood icon Reese Witherspoon`s daughter, Eva Phillippe. Besides Ananya and Eva, the other prominent names in the spread included Scotland`s Cecily Lasnet (great-granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire), French film icon Jean-Paul Belmondo`s grandson Giacomo Belmondo, Princess Sibilla and Prince Leopold of Luxembourg among others (Picture courtesy/Vanity Fair)

In an exclusive interview with mid-day, Ananya Panday talked about how excited and nervous she was to prepare herself for a traditional European concept of a debutante ball, Le Bal, Paris. The actress received an invitation from Oph&eacute, lie Renouard to be a part of the renowned dance function in 2018. In Picture: Ananya Panday and Eva Phillippe look stunning and like princesses in this photograph taken at the 25th Bal des Debutantes (Image courtesy/Vanity Fair)

Talking about the same, Ananya Panday said, `It`s the only by-invitation debutante ball in the world and I did not believe it [that I was invited] when mum told me. But, I think reality has finally sunk in. Nervous excitement would be the apt phrase to describe my state of mind. Nervous, because I have never been part of anything like this before. I have never worn anything so fancy, or even an evening gown. Once I was told I would be wearing a Gaultier, I read up on him. I realise it`s quite a big deal`

From Sara Ali Khan, Ishaan Khatter, and Janhvi Kapoor to Pranutan Bahl, Zaheer Iqbal and Abhimanyu Dassani - there were more than 20 debutants that Bollywood introduced in the last two years. However, Ananya Panday went on record to say that she did not fear competition

At the trailer launch of Student Of The Year 2, Ananya Panday was confident while saying, `I love competition. You can see it in `SOTY 2`. It was so much fun. It is very motivating to have new people. Our film industry needs new people all the time. So, it is amazing`

Ananya, who already found social media popularity even before the trailer of her debut film came out, thanked the paparazzi and said, `I want to thank all the photographers. You all have been so kind to us, so warm to us. We waited for a day like this where we can see how you all are reacting to our trailer`

Ananya Panday says she wants to grow a thick skin like her actor-father Chunky Panday. When asked if she feels the pressure to sustain herself in the industry especially because she comes from a film family, Ananya was quoted saying, `I think I do, because my father has such good comic timing. So, that is something that I always hear that`

Ananya Panday went on to reveal what her father advised her before her Bollywood foray. "He didn`t give me any advice because he knows that his time was really different as compared to mine. So he thinks that I cannot apply the things which he applied during his acting stint. But I think I have learnt a lot from his behaviour. He never changed because of his successes and failures, so I want to be like that. I also want to take jokes in my stride the way he does. He always cracks jokes on himself. I want to grow thick skin like him," said the newbie

Ananya Panday said her father`s feedback has been the most important for her. "For me, my favourite response has to be that of my father`s because that was the one that I was looking forward to the most because he hadn`t seen anything of the film. After watching the trailer and songs, he is so excited and I think that`s the most important feedback that I needed, and I got it so, I am feeling really happy," said Ananya

Ananya Panday bagged her second film even before her Bollywood debut hit theatres. Ananya started shooting for her second film Pati Patni Aur Woh, co-starring Bhumi Pednekar and Kartik Aaryan, even before SOTY 2 hit theatres

Ananya Panday is happy about filmmakers writing interesting roles for women. `Just like SOTY 2, my second film (Pati, Patni Aur Woh) has two women in it and I am super excited about that. I think we both have such strong characters and roles. That`s really exciting that they (makers) are writing such interesting characters with not just one, but two women in one film. So, I think it is a really exciting time for actresses,` Ananya told IANS

Ananya Panday`s character in Student Of The Year 2 is similar to her real-life self. `She is very much like how I am as a person. She`s passionate, loud and expressive. She is a fighter and doesn`t take no for an answer. She is someone young girls can look up to and relate with`

Ananya spoke her heart out and said she played SOTY 2`s role with utmost honesty. `I was extremely honest in playing this role and I hope people see that. As Shreya is very close to the person that I am, it just amplified because in a Dharma Productions film, everything is larger-than-life. I have not been trained formally any way before. So all of these experiences were my first. Everything I did was impulsive. I was making mistakes and you would see that. I would like the audience to watch me grow. I don`t want to be perfect from the start. I don`t want to know everything, that`s so boring. I want people to see me make mistakes and learn from them`

Ananya shone brighter than ever as the actress bagged the title of Vogue`s `Youth Influencer of the year` for her `So Positive` initiative. The actress has done a commendable job by creating a safe space for victims of social media bullying with `So Positive`, a digital social responsibility initiative and is being applauded by fans and celebrities from all quarters

On the work front, Ananya was last seen in Shakun Batra`s `Gehraiyaan` along with Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi. The actress is all set to star opposite Vijay Deverakonda in `Liger`

The film will release on August 25!