Ananya Panday says she didn't judge Vijay Deverakonda for Arjun Reddy: 'He has been extremely chivalrous'

Ananya Panday has said she never judged Liger co-star Vijay Deverakonda for his portrayal of Arjun Reddy even though she does not like the character.

Ananya Panday has said that she and her Liger co-star Vijay Deverokonda might not have the same opinion of his film Arjun Reddy, but she has not judged him for doing the film. She also shared that Vijay has been accepting of her views on the film and praised his chivalrous nature.

Ananya Panday has said her dislike of Arjun Reddy didn't affect her equation with its lead actor Vijay Deverakonda. (Instagram)

Arjun Reddy (2017) and its Hindi remake Kabir Singh (2019), both directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, were criticised for glamourising misogyny and toxic masculinity. While Vijay Deverakonda defended the film and his character, Ananya took the opposite stance when asked about the film during their joint appearance on Koffee With Karan earlier this month.

Opening up about their contradicting views at a recent promotional event for Liger in Mumbai, Ananya said, “I don’t judge Vijay for Arjun Reddy. We are actors and we don’t portray who we really are on screen. Our values and our viewpoints of the world don’t have to entirely match the characters we play on screen. Since the time I met him, he has been extremely chivalrous towards me so I didn’t really have that connection."

The actor added about Vijay, "In terms of the opinion that I had on the film, he has been very accepting of that. He is just that kind of a person, who likes to have debate and conversation going. I never felt that conflict in anyway."

In their Koffee With Karan appearance, Vijay had said that many women came to him praising Arjun Reddy and hoping for a partner like him, but Ananya had strongly said that she would not be fine with someone like the character. She had said, “Honestly I feel if people have come up to him (Vijay Deverakonda) then I’m sure there are people like that. I’m just not surrounded by those people. And I would not advise any of my friends to be okay with it. But, that’s just how I am."

Vijay marks his Bollywood debut with Liger, which was shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu. Directed by Puri Jagannadh and produced by Dharma Productions and Puri Connects, the film also stars Ramya Krishna and Ronit Roy in pivotal roles, and is scheduled to release in theatres on August 25.