Whether romance or thriller, social media is going to be a prevalent character in movies going forward, said Ananya Panday who has emerged as the go-to actor to tell stories rooted in modern technology with ‘CTRL’, ‘Call Me Bae’ and ‘Kho Gaye Hum Kahan’.
In the Vikramaditya Motwane-directed ‘CTRL’, where a story unfolds entirely through various screens, Panday plays Nella, a social media influencer whose life comes crashing down when she enlists the help of an AI to erase her cheating ex (Vihaan Samat) from her digital life.
The actress said that the timing of the release of her three projects, where her characters’ digital life plays a key role in the narrative, makes it seem like they have a connection, but she didn’t think about it while signing them.
“I feel like it is the time that we’re living in. It’s the generation that we’re living in where technology is such a big part of all of our lives. Being a part of Gen Z, these stories are relatable for me. It’s something that is just starting to happen. In the romantic genre or in the thriller genre, technology will be a prevalent character. I feel like it is something that exists. It’ll be hard to tell a story where there isn’t some effect or some social media. It’ll be in many more stories going forward,” she told PTI in an interview.
Asked whether working on ‘CTRL’ made her cautious about the perils of hyper-connectivity, Panday said that some habits are hard to break. The film, however, has made her more aware of her online activity.
“Even in the smallest of things, like just agreeing to terms and conditions, allowing your iPad and your laptops access to your camera and microphone, accepting cookies every time you go onto a new website. We’re not aware of the repercussions. The film made me aware of those small things, but it’s still back to that toxic behavior. I know it, but I’m still doing it,” she admitted.