Just when Anjali Anand was ready to give up on acting and leave India, the audition that would change her career arrived. The actor has now opened up about that breaking point, revealing how financial stress, isolation and repeated comments about her weight defined one of the hardest chapters of her journey before Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani gave her the opening she had been waiting for.
Speaking to Farah Khan on her YouTube channel, Anjali looked back at 2020 as the lowest phase of her life. “I was at the lowest point of my life in 2020. I was considering leaving India and quitting acting altogether. I was not getting any acting offers. The pandemic had happened, all my savings were exhausted, and I was living alone on rent for six months,” she said.
Anjali Anand Recalls Shanoo Sharma’s Remark
Anjali said she had known casting director Shanoo Sharma for years, but their conversations often circled back to the same condition. Recalling those meetings, she said, “Whenever I used to meet her for roles, she would tell me, ‘When you lose weight, we will do something.’”
The tone changed when Sharma messaged her while she was in Goa. This time, the call was about a possible role in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Anjali remembered being told, “Karan saw your photo, and he liked it. He is looking for an actor for this part, and if you crack this audition, then he will take you.”
The Audition That Changed Everything
That meeting with Johar became the opportunity she had been waiting for. Anjali eventually landed the role of Golu in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, the 2023 family drama led by Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, with Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi in key roles. Her performance as the affectionate and spirited sister quickly stood out, giving her a memorable big screen breakthrough.
She also shared a telling moment from home when the audition first came up. “My mother told me, ‘Badi aayi Karan Johar se milne jaa rahi hai.’ I said, ‘Mummy, I am actually going to meet him,” Anjali said, recalling how unbelievable the chance felt in that moment.
Anjali Anand’s Recent And Upcoming Work
Before films came calling, Anjali had already built a steady screen presence with the 2017 web series Untag and the television show Dhhai Kilo Prem. Her film debut arrived with Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, and her credits since then have reflected a wider range across formats, including Raat Jawan Hai in 2024. She is also part of Dhamaal 4, the Indra Kumar directorial that lists Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Esha Gupta and Sanjeeda Shaikh among its cast.
For Anjali, the story now feels less like a lucky break and more like a reminder that persistence can outlast even the loneliest stretch of rejection.
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