Mohit Suri says the world hasn’t seen Saiyaara star Ahaan Panday’s other side: ‘Tiktoker hai ye ladka, full Chapri hai’

Director Mohit Suri discusses the untapped potential of Saiyaara's lead stars, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda in a new interview.

Director Mohit Suri, basking in the success of Saiyaara, recently opened up about the hidden sides of his film’s lead stars, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. While both actors have been praised for their emotionally grounded performances in the film, Suri revealed there’s a lot more to them that the audience hasn’t yet seen.

Mohit Suri highlights Ahaan Panday's electric personality and comic timing of Aneet Padda are still untapped.

Speaking to Komal Nahta, Mohit recalled a moment during the shoot that revealed Ahaan's curiosity about his casting.

Mohit Suri reveals a different side of Ahaan and Aneet

“Sir, maine toh ek dimension hi inmein tap nahi kiya hai. Mujhe yaad hai, 30th day of shooting par, jab 50 per cent shoot ho chuki thi, he suddenly turns to our creative producer and says, ‘Sumanna, maine kya kiya tha audition mein? Aisa toh koi audition diya hi nahi tha maine. Mujhe bola gaya tha, you are the right one. (Sir, I haven’t even tapped one dimension of him yet. I remember on the 30th day of shooting, when half the film was done, he turned to our creative producer and said, ‘Sumanna, what did I even do in the audition? I didn’t give any big performance. I was just told I’m the right one.)"

Mohit added that Ahaan’s energy is far more electric than what Saiyaara required.

“He has a whole different side—the way he dances, he’s a gallery man! He dances for the front benchers. Aapne woh videos dekhe nahi hai jo usne pull down kar diye. TikToker hai yeh ladka. Full chapri hai. He’s a full, out-there, galleried, Gaiety Galaxy boy jo Bandra mein hai. (You haven’t seen the videos he deleted—this guy is a total TikToker! He’s a loud, energetic, over-the-top Gaiety Galaxy boy from Bandra.)"

Mohit said this side wasn’t needed for Saiyaara, but it's a part of Ahaan’s personality he hopes to explore in future projects. He also spoke fondly of Aneet Padda, revealing her unexpected comic timing.

Saiyaara is a smashing hit at the box office

Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara has made history at the global box office, emerging as the highest-grossing love story in Indian cinema. In just 11 days, the romantic drama has raked in a phenomenal ₹404 crore worldwide. Starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, Saiyaara has surpassed the lifetime global collections of Kabir Singh ( ₹379 crore) and Sitaare Zameen Par ( ₹264 crore), cementing its place as a breakout blockbuster of 2025.