'Ahaan Panday was asked by YRF to look for work elsewhere, his pride was killed,' reveals Mohit Suri

Ahaan Panday’s debut in Saiyaara has turned him into one of the most talked-about new faces in Hindi cinema. Directed by Mohit Suri and co-starring Aneet Padda, the romantic drama has been a box office success. But behind Ahaan’s sudden rise is a long and uncertain road that began with a shelved dream project at Yash Raj Films (YRF).

In a recent interview with Komal Nahta, director Mohit Suri opened up about Ahaan’s journey to Saiyaara. He revealed that Ahaan had been signed for a grand-scale launch under the YRF banner, but the project was eventually cancelled. “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,” Mohit said.

According to Suri, the pandemic brought major shifts in the film business, prompting YRF head Aditya Chopra to reassess the project’s viability. Ahaan, who had been vocal about his YRF launch, was left disappointed. “Overnight, his pride and ‘guroor’ was 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?’' Mohit recalled.

Overnight, his pride and ‘guroor’ was 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?

- Mohit Suri

He further added, “I know that Adi sir called him after the pandemic, and told him that his faith in his talent hasn’t decreased 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.”

Initially, even Mohit wasn’t convinced Ahaan was the right choice for Saiyaara. But that changed when he observed Ahaan among his peers. “They could easily make a web series on the making of Saiyaara; all of us have had our journeys with the film,” he said.

In the end, Saiyaara became not just a debut vehicle, but a story of resilience and self-belief—rooted in a seven-year wait that finally paid off.