Ahaan Panday: Everything You Need To Know About The 'Saiyaara' Debut Star

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

If you've somehow escaped the Saiyaara wave this weekend, know that you're the rare exception. After a long drought, Hindi cinema has once again spoken to the nation's collective imagination - and the audience has responded.

While Saiyaara enjoyed a fair amount of pre-release buzz, bolstered by ace director Mohit Suri (who helped launch the careers of Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor with Aashiqui 2), what unfolded was something else entirely.

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We got to see the dreamy debut in classic Bollywood-YRF style - larger than life, yet soulful - and right at the centre of it all was Ahaan Panday. But who is he, really?

Well, as the surname might suggest, Ahaan is part of the Panday film family. He's the son of Chikki and Deanne Panday, the nephew of 90s comic hero Chunky Panday, and the first cousin of actress Ananya Panday.

Despite the famous last name, the actor recently revealed he was“the least pampered” growing up, even sleeping in a room built inside a corridor of the family home.

Panday, who studied at Oberoi International School in Mumbai and completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, later went on to pursue Cinematic Arts and Film & Television Production at the University of Mumbai.

But before the camera ever found him, he spent time behind it, immersing himself in everything from editing to direction to film theory. He even worked as an assistant director on projects like Rock On 2, The Railway Men, picking up hands-on experience that would go on to shape how he approached the screen.

Teen sensation who slipped off the radar

Let's rewind a little further. Before Saiyaara became his claim to fame, Ahaan had already been something of a teen internet sensation. His Dubsmash videos (Remember that era of lip-sync videos? He was all over it!) and infectious energy made the rounds on early social media, giving audiences a glimpse of his boyish charm and comfort in front of the camera.

But Yash Raj Films quickly caught on to the budding talent and took him under their wings.

What followed was years of quiet grooming under YRF's in-house training regimen. Alongside the studio's longtime casting director Shanoo Sharma, Ahaan underwent rigorous prep to get him ready for a big-screen debut - one that wouldn't just rely on lineage, but real merit.

Building mystery and intrigue

Interestingly, ahead of Saiyaara's release, YRF also chose to play their cards close. No press junkets, no interviews, no aggressive social media stunts. They kept Ahaan's mystique intact, which sure is a tough task to accomplish in an era of hyper-visibility. So when the film finally released, audiences were met with a fresh face they hadn't already seen on reels and TikTok. And it worked.

And then, of course, came the numbers. In its first week alone, Saiyaara crossed ₹150 crore at the box office. Theatres have also reportedly increased screenings with showings sold out in multiple cities.

Critics have praised the chemistry between Ahaan and his co-star Aneet Padda , and fans can't get enough of his brooding charm and acting chops. Some have even been calling it the Gen-Z love stor everyone's been waiting for.

Since the film's release, he's been labelled everything from "Bollywood's next heartthrob" to“a superstar in the making” with Suri himself calling him and Aneet“the next generation of stars". And his Instagram following is already clocking in at 1.4 million - and counting.

With only one film to his name, he's already stirred the waters. But what comes next will matter!

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