Actor Anjali Anand says she is still coming to terms with the outpouring of praise for her work in Dhamaal 4, admitting that becoming a star has been on her mind since she was a child and that the audience's affection means more to her than she can put into words.
A dream she has chased since childhood
Looking back at how far her acting journey has come, Anjali admitted the graph of her career has surprised even her. "It still feels unreal, as if I'm living someone else's life," she said, adding that her habit of moving on quickly, rather than pausing to enjoy her wins, has stayed with her right through her career and has kept her from properly celebrating any single success.
Music, she said, had always been part of the plan long before Dhamaal 4 came along. Having a song built around her, and a real opportunity to show her range as a dancer, was a goal she had nursed and worked toward for years, and it finally arrived during this shoot. She added that seeing herself as a major star one day is a dream that goes all the way back to her childhood, one she has never let go of.
The uphill climb for a newcomer
Anjali also spoke about the harder side of being a relatively new face in a crowded industry, where recognition rarely comes quickly. She said it is natural for audiences to hesitate before accepting an actor they have not seen much of, and she does not hold that against them. Her approach, she explained, has been to keep delivering work that speaks for itself, confident that consistency will eventually win more people over.
An off-screen bond with Riteish Deshmukh
A large part of the film's on-screen spark, in Anjali's telling, grew out of an easy, playful friendship with co-star Riteish Deshmukh that never felt forced. She said the two spent much of the shoot simply enjoying themselves, and that lightness carried over naturally into their scenes together. Importantly, she added, Riteish never pulled rank on set despite being the more established name, and instead made space for her to bring her own instincts and improvisations to their shared moments.
One particular day on set stayed with her. While shooting an action sequence, she and Riteish ended up accidentally hurting each other, and in the moment both simply shrugged it off, insisting they were fine even as they limped away from the scene. It was only later that day that Riteish reached out to ask how her knee was holding up, prompting her to check on him in return, a small gesture Anjali said captured exactly the kind of person he is.
Future co-stars and gratitude for the audience
Looking to what comes next, Anjali said she would love the opportunity to share the screen with Shah Rukh Khan, Pankaj Tripathi and Jaideep Ahlawat, and added that working alongside some of her close friends in the industry is another ambition she continues to hold on to.
Anjali reserved some of her warmest words for the people who have gone to theatres for her performance specifically, saying it means a great deal that so many viewers cite her as the reason they bought a ticket. She said she has received message after message from fans who went back for a second watch because they enjoyed her work, and she thanked audiences for that support, adding that she hopes it keeps coming since an actor's career, in her view, ultimately rests on how the audience responds.
About Dhamaal 4
Dhamaal 4, directed by Indra Kumar, brings together Ajay Devgn and Arshad Warsi with Riteish Deshmukh, Jaaved Jaaferi and Ravi Kishan, while Sanjay Mishra, Upendra Limaye and Anjali Anand join Sanjeeda Shaikh and Esha Gupta in the cast, among others.
