Mohit Suri shares story of Ahaan Panday's shelved debut film before Saiyaara

India Today

5 days ago

Ahaan Panday is currently enjoying the success of 'Saiyaara', but director Mohit Suri recently shared that the actor's debut journey wasn't as smooth as it seems. Amid the growing hype around Ahaan's breakout performance in the romantic drama, the filmmaker shared that the young star was originally set to debut in a different, larger-than-life film. The movie was ultimately shelved due to the changing dynamics of the post-pandemic film industry.advertisementIn a conversation with Komal Nahta, Suri said, 'Ahaan had actually been workshopping with YRF for seven years. He was supposed to do a larger-than-life film before the pandemic. But the project was cancelled, because, as you know, the industry changed."The setback hit Ahaan hard, with Suri adding, 'Overnight, his pride and 'guroor' were killed. The same kid who was going around telling everyone that he would be launched by YRF was heartbroken. People started saying to him, 'You were bragging about being launched by YRF, what now?''
Despite the disappointment, Ahaan's belief in the banner remained firm. Mohit shared, 'I know that Adi sir called him after the pandemic, and told him that his faith in his talent hadn't lowered even one bit, but that he could start looking for opportunities outside the studio if he wanted to. 'You don't need to hang on here, you can look for work elsewhere', he was told. But the kid was adamant that he could only be launched by YRF, and it worked."'Saiyaara', released on July 18, 2025, has become a runaway success at the box office. The romantic drama, featuring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, has already become a box office hit.The film follows the story of Krish Kapoor, a struggling musician, and Vaani Batra, a poet with a soulful heart, as they go through love, heartbreak, and healing. Ahaan and Aneet's chemistry has been widely loved by the audience, especially the youth.- EndsTrending Reel