Mumbai: In his first interview after the massive success of his debut film ‘Saiyaara’, Ahaan Panday revealed how a personal loss had left him shattered before he signed the film.
“I would have to tell myself to keep the faith because things weren’t going the way I wanted them to. Something happened in my personal life that left me shattered. A person very important to me passed away, and she was my backbone; the only person that would call me a hero every day in my home and always meant it. And I think once she died that confidence started to shatter; the only way to deal with that was to just keep working, and that’s what I did,” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter India.
Ahaan revealed that the important person he was talking about was his grandmother, Snehlata Pandey.
She died in July 2021, three years before Ahaan signed ‘Saiyaara.’
Before ‘Saiyaara’ happened, Ahaan worked as an assistant director in several films.
“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, but I did. That kept me going,” he said.
By minting ₹563 crore, ‘Saiyaara’ shattered box-office records, and became one of the highest-grossing love story led by newcomers.
The film featured Aneet Padda, another debutant, as the female lead.