Naqiyah Haji talks to Moneycontrol about Party Animals, its Gen Z appeal, working with Viraj Ghelani and her views on microdramas and AI in entertainment.
M Snehanjali
October 29, 2026 / 16:01 IST
Actress Naqiyah Haji
Actress Naqiyah Haji is set to be seen in the upcoming release Party Animals, also starring Viraj Ghelani. Popularly known for her role as Dr. Nats in Heartbeats: Pyaar Aur Armaan Season 2, Naqiyah describes the film as “a desi version of The Hangover meets 21 Jump Street”. She believes the film captures the kind of madness and fun that today’s generation, particularly Gen Z, will instantly connect with.
Directed by Ravi Chhabriya, Party Animals is scheduled to hit theatres on November 20, 2026.
In an exclusive conversation with Moneycontrol, Naqiyah opened up about the film’s Gen Z appeal, working with Viraj Ghelani, the growing popularity of microdramas, the use of artificial intelligence in entertainment, and Deepika Padukone’s stance on eight-hour work shifts.
Talking about Party Animals and its intended audience, Naqiyah said the film is designed to offer a fun-filled cinematic experience with humour, chaos and unpredictable twists. Comparing its pace to the short-form content that dominates social media today, she explained how the film aims to keep viewers engaged throughout.
She said, “It’s for the GenZ, I myself am a GenZ, so I really hope people relate, have fun and you can put your brain aside and enjoy it. So basically we love watching reels, okay, we all watch reels. So this movie is a reel as in today’s time our attention span is quite less but our film is such that constantly something or the other is happening that you keep focusing on it.”
Recalling her experience of working with Viraj Ghelani on the show, the actress said, “Viraj is organically a really funny person, okay, matlab woh kuch bhi bolenge na toh you just start laughing because he just has a knack for it.”
She also shared fun moments on the sets when Viraj spoke in Gujarati when he was frustrated and Naqiyah would start laughing.
Naqiyah Haji agrees with Deepika Padukone on eight-hour work shifts
When asked about Deepika Padukone’s stance on eight-hour work shifts, Naqiyah expressed her admiration for the actress and said she agreed with her position. She pointed out that balancing professional commitments with personal responsibilities can be challenging, particularly for working mothers, and believes that shorter shifts could be considered if they can be accommodated within the industry.
She added, “I definitely agree with her. I think being a mom, being an actor, there are so many things that you need to take care of. If it could be worked out, why not? Because it can be shot, it’s not like it cannot happen. You know, you can do it within eight hours. I understand that people may have their qualms with it.”
She further emphasised the importance of solidarity within the film industry, suggesting that a more supportive approach could help make such changes possible.
“We are a film paternity, we are a family. If we can look at it that way and help each other out, it would be great. But I understand that people again have other things to say,” she continued.
Naqiyah Haji on the growing popularity of microdramas
Speaking of microdramas, Naqiyah says she has an ‘unpopular opinion’ about it. She elaborated saying for her it is more about performing in detail and giving the complete story to the viewers, unlike micro-dramas that give information within 30 seconds.
“So I understand that it’s serving a good purpose but I prefer long format and I feel like it would be nicer to watch your things horizontally and to watch it in length,” she added.
Naqiyah Haji on AI replacing human creativity in entertainment
Naqiyah also shared her reservations about the growing use of artificial intelligence, particularly in content creation. While she admitted to using ChatGPT, she expressed concern about AI-generated advertisements, films and modelling campaigns, arguing that technology cannot replicate the emotions and expressions that human performers bring to their work.
She said, “I don’t like AI. I mean ChatGPT otherwise is my best friend and I’m like all the time ChatGPT thing but when it comes to our industry, when it comes to ads, when it comes to modeling, you see now like there are a lot of TVCs that are fully AI driven. I honestly feel like it doesn’t have that touch, that’s my belief. I feel like what a human does, a human expression, human feelings, human dialogue, they’re completely different.”
The actress also stressed that the growing use of AI should not come at the cost of opportunities for people working in the creative industries. “We want our jobs and stop taking that away from us, we’ll do a good job. But hopefully, I mean people will understand and we’ll come back into more power than AI.”
Naqiyah Haji says Party Animals is about keeping things light-hearted
Explaining what she hopes audiences take away from Party Animals, Naqiyah said the film offers a welcome break from the serious themes that often dominate today’s content. While acknowledging the importance of deeper stories, she believes there is also a need for light-hearted entertainment that friends can enjoy together.
“Today’s life has gotten so serious and you know there’s a lot of content that is extremely deep which is also of course important but we also need things that are just fun and light-hearted where you can go with your friends and laugh. So party animals is for that. I do feel like a lot of people come with a preconceived notion about Gen Zs which I think the Gen Zs are proving that is not true.”
She also expressed pride in being part of Gen Z, adding that the generation is challenging preconceived notions about its capabilities. “You know, currently they have their ruling power that’s going on. So I am very proud to be a Gen Z and if people think otherwise I think we are proving ourselves to them.”
Party Animals stars Naqiyah Haji, Viraj Ghelani, Arjun Tanwar, Pragati Nagpal, Jaanyaa Joshi, Anil Charanjeett, Soundous Moufakir, Suresh Menon, Brijendra Kala, Samir Soni, and Manoj Joshi. It will be released on November 20, 2026.
M Snehanjali is a Sub Editor and journalist with over two years of experience covering general news and entertainment in digital newsroom.
first published: Oct 29, 2026 04:01 pm
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