Ananya Panday locked to romance Vijay Deverakonda in Fighter

A ton is being written, seen and shared about Telugu superstar Vijay Deverakonda's Bollywood debut in Warrior, a Pan India film to be made in Hindi and all south Indian languages which being coordinated by Puri Jagannath, co-created by Karan Johar, Puri Jagannath and Charmee Kaur. Since it's Vijay's first all out action film, he has been training non-stop for it, losing weight and preparing to take off his shirt on camera.

Having said all of this, regardless we had no confirmation of who Vijay's leading lady would be in Warrior. Now, it can be told it is Ananya Panday, Karan Johar's blue-eyed girl after Alia Bhatt. Coincidentally, Alia too is making her Telugu debut this year (in SS Rajamouli's RRR). In the two Puri and Rajamouli's activities, it was Karan Johar who was instrumental in getting his protégée's on board.

A source exceptionally near Karan Johar informs that Karan's other blue-eyed girl Janhvi Kapoor was being seriously considered. "In any case, Janhvi couldn't adjust her dates, though she seriously wanted to be part of the film. It was when Karan asked Ananya Panday (who made her introduction in Johar's Understudy Of The Year 2). And she readily agreed," says the source. Like Janhvi, Ananya is a major Vijay Deverakonda fan. The two did a fun photo-shoot together and are now getting ready for the first schedule of the film.