‘I Was Entirely Delusional’: Ahaan Panday Reflects On Early Years Before Dream Debut Saiyaara
Ahaan Panday faced years of shelved projects before his debut in "Saiyaara." He channeled his frustrations into his acting, maintaining optimism despite setbacks.
Even though he eventually got his dream launch with Saiyaara, the journey to the big screen was anything but easy for Ahaan Panday. The 27-year-old actor was meant to debut years earlier, but fate had other plans as projects kept getting shelved and opportunities slipped away.
In a new interview, Ahaan opened up about his struggles, blind optimism, and how he managed to stay positive despite the setbacks.
Ahaan Panday On Being Wronged By People
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter India, Ahaan said, “Have I felt wronged by people? Yes, I have. It wouldn’t be right for me to get personal about that, though, but as an actor, that’s where you take [inspiration] from. I would take a small moment and enlarge that for the character. I just kept putting myself into different things. There was that blind optimism, the first four-five years, where I was entirely delusional, and I think people around me could sense it.”
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On Getting His Much-Awaited Debut
His much-awaited debut finally happened when Yash Raj Films’ Aditya Chopra reached out to his parents, Chikki and Deanne Panday, with an offer to launch him. That promise materialised with Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara.
Reflecting on the opportunity, Ahaan said, “Eventually, I got this opportunity. I would always remind myself: to assist on a set is a dream for millions. To be able to pursue art is a luxury; most people didn’t get to do that, I did. That kept me going. I got to be on a film set, I got to learn from other actors. I didn’t ever think it would be this [big]. I was happy doing this; I was never sour or bitter that things weren’t going my way, because I got to be on a set.”
Saiyaara: A record-breaking debut
Directed by Mohit Suri, Saiyaara stars Ahaan Panday alongside fellow newcomer Aneet Padda. The film not only gave the young actor his long-awaited launch but also went on to break records, becoming the highest-grossing film led by newcomers and the highest-grossing love story in Indian cinema history. With a worldwide gross of ₹563 crore, it stands as the second-highest-grossing Indian film of 2025.
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