- Tuesday, April 29, 2025
By: Vibhuti Pathak
Ananya Panday is making headlines once again, and this time it’s not for her red carpet appearance or social media post, but for her performance in Kesari Chapter 2. A leaked courtroom scene featuring her character, Dilreet Gill, has taken the internet by storm, triggering a fresh round of debate over her acting chops and the ongoing nepotism discourse in Bollywood.
The clip in question, shared by a fan on Instagram, shows Ananya Panday in a fierce courtroom exchange with R Madhavan, who plays Neville McKinley, an Anglo-Indian lawyer defending British interests.
In a moment filled with emotional intensity, Ananya delivers lines questioning a witness with sharp anger and indignation.
She says, “Aap aise baat kar rahi hain jaise aapko farak hi nahi padh raha. Aap itni besharami se jhoot kaise bol sakti hain? Kya aapko iss liye sharm aa rahi hai kyunki woh ek Hindustani hain?…” before the clip abruptly ends, leaving viewers eager for more.
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This short yet impactful scene has divided netizens. While some were genuinely impressed with Ananya’s growth as an actor, others remained skeptical, pointing out lingering flaws in her delivery and expression.
A social media user commented, “The delivery was perfect for the scene, I can see the frustration and anger in her performance.” Another added, “She acts well in every role. She just needs good scripts and direction. Her OTT performances are decent, but she shines in theatrical releases.”
Supporters of Ananya were quick to draw comparisons with her contemporaries, with one fan writing, “Ananya has improved massively, unlike Sara Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor.”
These praises come despite early backlash when her casting in the sequel to Kesari was announced alongside industry veterans like Akshay Kumar and R Madhavan. The decision had reignited nepotism discussions, questioning whether Ananya truly earned her role.
However, not everyone is convinced. Some viewers pointed out that despite her improved emotional range, Ananya still needs to refine her accent and diction. One user observed, “She’s grown as an actor, no doubt. But I can still hear the SoBo (South Bombay) girl in her voice. It’s distracting in a historical courtroom setting.”
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Another netizen added, “The bar is so low that this is being praised. She’s improving, but she’s not there yet.”
Interestingly, even the trolls acknowledged her growth while remaining critical. Some argued that while Ananya’s delivery has evolved, she still needs to work on her expressions and tone modulation to match the gravitas of a film like Kesari Chapter 2.
The film, featuring intense courtroom drama and set against a colonial backdrop, appears to offer Ananya one of her most challenging roles yet. Whether or not this scene cements her place as a serious performer in Bollywood remains to be seen, but it has certainly sparked conversation.
For better or worse, Ananya Panday is no longer being ignored—and perhaps that’s the start of something bigger.
