Actor Anjali Anand, who made her big screen debut with Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani last year, has a lineup of 3 projects this year. “I just finished two projects, one I can talk about and one I can’t. One is Bun Tikki, where I am playing a small part. It’s a beautiful film and I am so glad I am a part of it. I am getting to work with Shabana Azmi, Abhay Deol, and Zeenat Aman, such amazing artists. I can’t wait for the world to watch it. It’s unbelievable that I am getting to work with all these people so early on,” says the actor, who will also be seen in Dabba Cartel and another web show.
Anand also tells us that her mother Purnima Anand, an artist from the 70s-80s, has worked with veteran actor Zeenat Aman in the past as her body double and now she is also got a chance to work with her in their upcoming project Bun Tikki, which is designer Manish Malhotra’s first feature film. “When they told me that I am getting to work with Zeenat ji, I was on cloud nine. My mom was her body double many years ago. It was amazing to get to be in the same project with her. We spoke a lot and she knew my parents. She just couldn’t believe that the little girl is now so big. She was all praises about mom and dad. I didn’t have any memory of meeting her as a child. But, I knew that she was a part of our life and mom-dad knew her,” the 31-year-old shares.
“I didn’t even have to tell her, I just took their name and she recalled everything. She remembered every single thing and knew so much about my family, I had no idea. She knew where I stayed because she has been home so much. I actually don’t ask too many questions from my mom, because I wanted to have new experiences of my own,” she further adds.
{{/usCountry}}“I didn’t even have to tell her, I just took their name and she recalled everything. She remembered every single thing and knew so much about my family, I had no idea. She knew where I stayed because she has been home so much. I actually don’t ask too many questions from my mom, because I wanted to have new experiences of my own,” she further adds.
{{/usCountry}}Anand’s dad Dinesh Anand was also a part of the industry but unfortunately passed away in 2001. “Mum couldn’t even believe that I would be working with all of these people because she thought that after dad, this time would never come back again. I am happy I am able to give her that life again. My dad was an actor and my mom was a dancer, choreographer and body double. I am feeling so lucky that I am getting to work with people that my parents have worked with. Even recently, I shot for a web show with Raj Babbar and he was my dad’s close friend,” she expresses.
Talking about her hatrick collaboration with veteran actor Shabana Azmi, she shares, “It’s my third with Shabana ji. I put up a post with her on social media because one day I just woke up and started missing her so much because I started another project and she wasn’t a part of it. Since 2021, I have been working with her continuously, she is on every set and in every meeting. Suddenly she is not there, it’s making me feel so weird. She is a good friend of mine now, someone to talk to, someone to take advice from.”
Anand made her debut with Karan Johar’s commercial rom-coms flick and already has many opportunities coming her way. Would it have been different if it was a small film? “Nobody in the film industry knew me, but now, I don’t have to introduce myself to anybody because the success of that film reached everywhere. It’s just about people seeing the talent in me and now giving me opportunities,” she responds, continuing, “Even if it wasn’t something as commercial, I don’t think that case different hota. Something as non-commercial as 12th Fail did so well and Medha, who is my friend, got so much fame and work after that. So, it’s not about small or big films, you just have to be good at what you do. Film chale na chale vo aapke luck and bahut saare alag factors par based hota hai.”