New Delhi: Ananya Panday’s cousin and Chunky Panday’s nephew, Ahaan Panday, is all set for his theatrical debut with Yash Raj Films’ Saiyaara. The film also stars Aneet Padda opposite the star kid and will hit the silver screen on July 18. However, what’s more interesting than the trailer is the story behind his casting.
Surprisingly, Ahaan’s debut was not via the traditional way of giving auditions and waiting for the casting call. Rather, it was after a dinner conversation where he was supposed to get rejected. But what convinced director Mohit Suri? Read on to find out!
How did Mohit Suri cast Ahaan Panday for Saiyaara?
In an exclusive interview with TV9 Digital, Mohit shared that there was a film planned before the COVID-19 pandemic, which ultimately didn’t materialise. Despite being told he could move on and explore other opportunities, Ahaan chose to stay committed. When Aditya Chopra brought up his name again, Mohit revisited Ahaan’s auditions. While technically sound, the performances felt like they lacked something essential. Aditya then advised the filmmaker, “Tell him no. You know his dad, so just go to dinner with him and end it.”
“So I took him out to dinner, planning to say no. Told him to stop calling me sir, call me Mohit. He started with ‘bro bro bro’ (laughs). I was supposed to be home by 11:30. I ended up out with him till 3 AM. And suddenly, I saw this brash, angsty, wild side of him. That’s when I knew—he was my character,” the Ek Villain director revealed.
He further added, “Auditions aren’t fair. They have actors perform iconic scenes and compare them to others. But this boy, when he wasn’t performing, he was the character. I told Adi sir the next day: he’s the one.”
Saiyaara advance booking
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Saiyaara has already minted Rs 4.41 crore through advance bookings for its release day alone. This figure includes Rs 1.8 crore in block bookings and reflects over 50,000 tickets sold ahead of the premiere.