India, Sept. 13 -- At just 22, Aneet Padda finds herself navigating a kind of scrutiny usually reserved for Bollywood's most established stars. The breakout Saiyaara actor admits that confidence doesn't always come easily and her early years in the industry were marked more by anxiety than applause.

"I'll be very honest; I started enjoying [acting] with this film," she revealed in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India."For three years before that, I just had terrible anxiety and depression, mostly because I had gone to Delhi to study, not fully being sure if I'd make it anywhere in the industry at all.'"

That uncertainty now feels like a lifetime ago. With Saiyaara turning into one of the year's biggest breakout hits, Pad...