When the shimmering spotlight of Dharma Productions… once practically engraved with “Reserved for Ananya Panday”, suddenly swivels toward a new face like Aneet Padda, you can bet Bollywood’s gossip blender goes into overdrive. After all, Ananya has long been the chosen one of the Karan Johar galaxy (yes, that KJo, patron saint of pouty debuts and designer heartbreaks). But now, with Aneet — the surprise breakout star of 2025 — sashaying into the Dharma halo, it looks like Ananya’s designer heels might be wobbling just a little. Because when KJo’s eye for talent wanders, the entire industry starts whispering, “Has Ananya finally met her match?
So, let’s dive beyond the sparkle and the selfies to find out what’s really simmering beneath those perfectly glossed smiles. Hold that thought… why stress when TheGlitz is on the case? We’ve got our perfectly manicured fingers on every pulse, every DM, and every whispered “insider” scoop. Buckle up, because we’re about to spill the real chai — piping hot and straight from the Bollywood blender. Read on…
Turf War
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Ananya’s Bollywood debut was textbook Karan Johar princess material… the Dharma launchpad with Student of the Year 2 (2019), complete with glitter, gloss, and just enough pout to make it to every magazine cover. The box office? Respectable enough to keep the fairy tale alive. But the magic started to chip when her next big-screen outings tripped over their own hype.
The Puri Jagannadh-directed Liger (2022) didn’t just flop… it did a perfect nosedive, sputtering out at ₹17.90 crore in India, leaving critics and audiences equally speechless (and not in a good way). Dream Girl 2 (2023) came as a brief rebound, netting ₹67 crore and a sigh of relief for team Ananya. Netflix’s Call me Bae had Ananya’s PR team scattering around like headless chickens enticing the media to give her “A Superstar Is Born” headlines, instead, it turned into a damp squib.
But now, all eyes are on Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri… another shiny Dharma production co-starring Kartik Aaryan… which, let’s be honest, might just be Ananya’s last big chance to prove she’s more than just KJo’s pet project with a perfect blowout.
Enter Aneet Padda. Buzz established her as 2025’s breakout talent with Saiyaara, which reportedly entered the Rs 400 crore club within 11 days. Word is, Dharma spotted her and was bowled over by her star power and started considering her for major projects… and that’s when Ananya’s inner circle allegedly went into damage-control mode.
“Ananya’s Drama, Aneet’s Rise?”
Insiders whisper that Ananya, used to being the GOI (God-daughter of KJo), was blindsided when the Dharma team offered its “dream project – Dostana 2” to Aneet Padda… a step Ananya’s camp apparently didn’t see coming. Rumours claim the actress lashed out at her team… turned off calls, cancelled meetings, and signalled her frustration in not-so-subtle ways. The reason? She felt the ladder up was slipping.
And yet, while Ananya continues to rack up premium endorsements… think WhatsApp’s father-daughter campaign and other major brand tie-ups. Her film catalogue? Slim in comparison. Despite six years in the industry, box-office numbers haven’t grown as expected. A recent report notes that the sum total of her Hindi theatrical releases remains under Rs 400 crore. For someone who has the “nepotism plus brand deals” combo, that’s suddenly not enough.
“Aneet’s Entry, Ananya’s Alarm?”
Aneet’s journey couldn’t be more different. Hailing from Amritsar with zero film connections, she hustled her way up… from juggling modelling assignments to enduring scam auditions at 17, and even cold-emailing production houses before landing her big break.
Her rise has been driven purely by grit, talent, and timing, the perfect blend of freshness and ambition that Bollywood’s been craving. Recently, an old video went viral showing Ananya Panday offering acting advice to Aneet on the sets of Big Girls Don’t Cry.
Fans instantly dubbed it the “nanad-bhabhi crossover” moment… fitting, since Ananya happens to be Ahaan Panday’s cousin, and Ahaan stars opposite Aneet in Saiyaara. Talk about cinematic serendipity with a dash of family drama!
TheGlitz Says
So does this mean Ananya is genuinely threatened? Possibly, yes. In Bollywood’s ecosystem where buzz is currency and legacy only carries you so far, Aneet’s meteoric rise might have flipped the narrative. Ananya is still backed by Dharma, still has the brand power but the box-office comfort blanket seems thinner than before. Meanwhile, Aneet is fresh, credible and backed by momentum.
And therein lies the crux: Ananya bagged major brand tie-ups but mixed box-office results; her last big theatrical turn was widely labelled a disaster. Aneet, meanwhile, has the unexpected hit, the outsider story, and a studio’s backing.
In short: Watch this space… because Ananya might still reclaim her Dharma crown, but Aneet has crashed the party and isn’t packing up anytime soon.
