Whether romance or thriller, social media is going to be a prevalent character in movies going forward, says actor 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, a PTI report from New Delhi stated.

The actor said the timing of the release of her three projects, where her characters’ digital life play 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 is 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, it (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 will be in many more stories going forward,” Panday told PTI in an interview.

Asked about the dangers of modern tech, she said it has made her cautious. “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 behaviour. I know it, but I’m still doing it,” she admitted.

“I had my Instagram account before I became an actor and that time it was more private. I’ve always had a lot of fun with it. I kind of have maintained the same thing. I keep it as real as possible. I post whatever I want. I don’t take it too seriously. That’s the key but my relationship with social media also keeps changing,” she held forth on social media and her presence on it. She, incidentally, has over 25 million followers on Insta.