After years of grooming under the Yash Raj Films (YRF) banner, Ahaan Panday — cousin of actress Ananya Panday — is set to make his Bollywood debut. The newcomer will headline Saiyaara, a romantic drama produced by Aditya Chopra and directed by Mohit Suri. The film also stars Aneet Padda, who was previously seen in Salaam Venky alongside Kajol and Aamir Khan.
This marks the first collaboration between Aditya Chopra and Mohit Suri, known for directing successful romantic thrillers such as Aashiqui 2, Ek Villain, Malang, Murder 2, and Awarapan. In a statement, YRF described the film as “an intense love story that brings YRF and Mohit Suri together for the first time.” Ananya also shared an Instagram Story, welcoming her brother to movies.
Theirs is a love story like no other… 🎶❤️💫 #Saiyaara starring #AhaanPanday and #AneetPadda releasing in theatres, worldwide, July 18, 2025!
Presented by: #AdityaChopra
Directed by: @mohit11481
Produced by: #AkshayeWidhani pic.twitter.com/F3A7YsGp2G— Yash Raj Films (@yrf) April 22, 2025
Ahaan Panday, son of Chikki Panday and nephew of veteran actor Chunky Panday, has long been in the spotlight as a potential Gen-Z star. Over the years, he has been personally trained and mentored by Aditya Chopra in preparation for his big-screen debut. Before making his acting debut, he had worked as an assistant director on YRF’s widely watched series The Railway Men. His entry into the industry follows a similar path to other star-kid launches, echoing the moves of Aditya Chopra’s contemporary Karan Johar, who has frequently launched star kids under Dharma Productions.
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Earlier, Aditya Chopra also introduced Aamir Khan’s son, Junaid Khan, in Maharaj, a Netflix original, based on the historic Maharaj Libel Case of 1862. The film became embroiled in controversy prior to its release, with the court issuing a stay on the grounds that it might hurt religious sentiments. However, after reviewing the film, the Gujarat High Court lifted the stay, stating it found nothing objectionable, and the film was allowed to release on Netflix.
YRF has announced that Saiyaara will hit theatres on July 18, 2025.
