Saiyaara star Aneet Padda has opened up about her early struggles in the film industry, revealing how, at just 17, she unknowingly sent her audition materials to dubious casting websites while trying to find work.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Aneet said she was unaware of how the film industry’s casting process worked and, out of desperation, submitted her photos and biodata to several unverified online platforms. “Almost every production house in the Hindi film industry has my audition tape, a terrible biodata, and Snapchat filter pictures,” she recalled.

The young actor said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, she sent cold emails to as many as 50–70 production houses, only to later realize that professional casting agencies are meant to handle such negotiations for actors.

Aneet discovered her love for acting at the age of 10 after performing in a school play. However, she received little encouragement from her family and friends at the time. “For the longest time, I told myself I was silly for even wanting to pursue acting,” she said, adding that even her father — who once dreamed of becoming an actor himself — wasn’t supportive initially.

Before her breakthrough role in Saiyaara, Aneet made her debut in Revathi’s Salaam Venky alongside Kajol and Vishal Jethwa, followed by the Amazon Prime web series Big Girls Don’t Cry.

Her performance in Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara, opposite debutant Ahaan Panday, earned her nationwide fame. The romantic drama became the year’s second highest-grossing film, collecting ₹569.75 crore globally, and is now the highest-grossing romantic film of all time.

Source: NDTV