 She did some thrilling scenes in the climax of the movie Shikkar that impressed Mohanlal, which made him call her the "Vijayashanti" of Malayalam.She also played a supporting role in "Kandahar", which saw her sharing screen space with Mohanlal and Amitabh Bachchan.In 2011, Ananya played one of the female lead roles in "Engeyum Eppodhum", which received rave reviews and became a sleeper hit.