Actress

“I have a small role in Finding Fanny, more like a special appearance,” says Anjali Patil. What the 24-year-old actress is underplaying is that

she is Fanny, the titular character in Homi Adajania’s much-awaited new movie. The role comes after her work in the Telugu film Na Bangaaru Talli, based on a true story of sex trafficking, which earned her a special mention at the 2014 National Film Awards, and the Sri Lankan film, With You Without You that released across Indian theatres in June, which

won her the Silver Peacock Award for Best Actress at the 2012 International Film Festival

of India. Though Patil has been acting since 2012, it’s only this year that she may have truly

scored a breakthrough. Raised in Nasik, and now living in Mumbai, Patil says that the motivation to work in movies

came from an early need for a creative and independent life. While she began with acting on stage, her stint at the prestigious National School of Drama turned her attention towards direction and drama. A meeting with director Prashant Nair however brought her back to acting as Rohini in Delhi in a Day, and her role in Prakash Jha’s Chakravyu introduced her to Bollywood. “I believe in the script—if the script convinces me, I will do the film,” she says. Patil will now be seen in a slew of movies, including one directed by Satish Kaushik. Primarily cast as deeply serious characters till now, she hopes to switch genres and try new

roles soon.