Ahaan Panday lived in a ‘corridor' till he was 14, tried smoking at 15 with sister Alanna: ‘I was the least pampered member in the family'

Indian Express

22-07-2025

After the release of Mohit Suri's Saiyaara, actor Ahaan Panday is enjoying the kind of stardom that has been unprecedented for a newcomer in recent years. Ahaan is the nephew of popular 1980s actor Chunky Panday and while this is his first appearance in the movies, Ahaan has been a constant presence on social media for many years now and has appeared on his sister Alanna's YouTube channel numerous times. It was during one of these appearances that Ahaan opened up about his childhood as he grew up in a joint family, and also recalled how his sister Alanna, and cousins Ananya Panday and Rysa Panday, often got him into trouble.
While Ahaan now lives in a four-floor mansion made by dad Chikki Panday in the heart of Mumbai, which has a game room and separate flats for staff members, there was a time when Ahaan was allotted the least likable room in the house. Ahaan shared in a video on Alanna & Ivor's YouTube channel that he lived in a corridor in his house till the age of 14. During the video, when he was asked about the 'most pampered' person in his house, he said that he was the 'least pampered' member of the family.
He shared, 'I can't give you a specific one but I do know that I was the least pampered. I know that because I lived in a corridor for 7 years of my life.' As soon as Ahaan said this, Alanna interrupted him and said, 'It was not a corridor. It was a room built.' And he finished her sentence, 'It was a room built in a corridor. It was a corridor first. One side was the exit, and the other side were my dad and Dadi's bedrooms. I was in the passageway. Everyone would see me in my towel everyday.'
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Alanna recalled that back then, they lived in a joint family which meant that they shared their living space with Chunky and his wife Bhavana, of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives fame, and their daughters Ananya and Rysa. Their parents – Chikki and Deanna Pandey were also in the same house, along with their paternal grandparents. Chikki and his family continue to live in the same house. Alanna recalled her childhood and said, 'We lived in a joint family. There's limited space. Would you rather live in a joint family full of love than have your own space and live separately?' Ahaan agreed and shared that he too cherishes his childhood memories.. 'It was great. I won't have it any other way,' he said.
In the same video, Ahaan also recalled that he tried his first cigarette when he was 15-16, and it was his sister Alanna who first made him try smoking. 'When I was 16, Alanna called me into her bathroom and she made me try my first cigarette,' he said as Alanna got visibly embarassed. 'You can't say this sh*t man. He's lying. I am telling you,' she tried to interrupt. Ahaan further recalled the details of the kind of cigarette that he tried and Alanna tried to stop him from divulging more. 'He's making me sound like such a bad sister,' she said and added, 'I was just excited that I had discovered something and I wanted to share it with him.' He snarkily commented, 'I was 15. I had underdeveloped lungs and you are giving me cigarettes, all out of love.'
Ahaan's debut film has made over Rs 105 crore in the first four days at the box office. This year, this feat has only been achieved by Vicky Kaushal-starrer Chhaava, which made Rs 140 crore in the first four days, and earned over Rs 600 crore through its run in theatres. Films of superstars like Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Sunny Deol haven't seen the kind of success that Saiyaara has experienced in the cinemas.