Saiyaara's Aneet Padda says ‘almost every production house has my horrible biodata, Snapchat filter pics’; here's why

Aneet Padda recalled how, at the age of 17, when she was desperate for credible work, she sent cold emails to 50-70 production houses in Bollywood.

Actor Aneet Padda rose to fame with her latest release, Saiyaara. The film turned her and Ahaan Panday into overnight sensations. In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan India, Aneet recalled how, at the age of 17, she landed on scam websites offering auditions and sent cold emails to 50–70 production companies out of desperation for work.

Aneet Padda recalls landing on shady audition websites which were 'scams'.

Aneet Padda on landing scam audition websites at 17

Aneet recalled performing in one of her school plays at the age of 10 and shared that, at the time, she felt acting was an interesting way of being “weird” and one that was applauded. That sense of being applauded for her ‘weirdness’ stayed with her. However, a lack of support from her friends, as well as her father, made her feel insecure. She said, “For the longest time, I told myself, ‘You are so silly for even wanting to do anything about this.’ I stopped dreaming for a while.”

At 17, Aneet began searching online for acting auditions and, in the process, landed on shady websites that she later described as “scams, basically.” She revealed, “Almost every production house in the Hindi film industry has my audition tape, a terrible biodata, and Snapchat filter pictures.” She also recalled sending cold emails to 50–70 production companies during the pandemic when she was desperate to find something credible. However, she soon realised that it was casting agencies who negotiated opportunities on behalf of actors.

About Aneet Padda

Aneet made her acting debut in Revathi’s slice-of-life drama Salaam Venky, which also featured Kajol and Vishal Jethwa in lead roles. She then appeared in the web series Big Girls Don’t Cry, earning praise for her performance. The show also featured Pooja Bhatt, Mukul Chadda, Raima Sen, Zoya Hussain, Avantika, Tenzin Lhakyila and others in key roles. It is available to watch on Prime Video.

However, Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara catapulted her to fame. The romantic drama paired her with debutant Ahaan Panday, and their onscreen chemistry won the hearts of viewers. The film emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of 2025 and the biggest romantic drama ever in Indian cinema, earning ₹569.75 crore worldwide. It received praise from industry stalwarts such as Alia Bhatt, Karan Johar, and Mahesh Babu. Aneet has yet to announce her next project, and fans are eagerly awaiting her return to the screen.