Saiyaara Star Ahaan Panday Reveals How He Found His Calling In Acting: 'Tried DJing, Video Game Design...'

Ahaan Panday shot to fame after the release of his debut film Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri. However, did you know, his first dream wasn’t acting? In an interview with Grazia India, he shared that his first passion was writing. So much so, that he even wrote an entire book in the third grade, compiling and editing it with his grandmother’s help. After that, came his love for storytelling and then performance. In the interview, he also recalled experimenting with several interests such as DJing, and video game design before foraying into the film industry.

Ahaan Panday Says He Explored Many Paths Before Acting

While speaking with Grazia India, Ahaan recalled, “At sixteen, I tried DJing and then music production followed. I had a group called Bass Trap and we released tracks under it. Then came

video game design. Later, I started assisting on film sets since that passion for storytelling was always hidden beneath everything else. I observed everything quietly at sets. Post that, I also gave my first film audition and that’s where I got a taste of theatre and what performing in front of a proper crowd felt like. It’s here I decided to stick to this one thing.”

He explained that his urge to do so many things showed him that acting is perfect because it allows him to experience them all through his roles.

Ahaan Panday On Facing Rejection

However, he recalled that by the time he turned 18, rejection became a frequent part of his journey. “That’s when the no’s began,” he said, recalling that while some directors were interested in working with him, producers were hesitant to take a chance on a newcomer.

Ahaan said that through his experience, he learnt that it wasn’t going to be easy and he was going to face a lot of rejection. “I learnt that it takes a lot of courage to act because at the end of the day, it’s an art form, which is not a commercially viable occupation. I understood there were going to be a lot of no’s before there would be a yes and that it is a part of the process. While I’ve been a part of a beautiful film like Saiyaara, I know the next Friday when I have a film coming out, it’s going to count as it is something I have to learn to live with,” he said.

Before making his acting debut with Saiyaara, Ahaan assisted on films such as ‘Rock On 2’ (2016), ‘Freaky Ali’ (2016), and the series ‘The Railway Men’ (2023).

Ahaan Panday’s Work Front

After the massive success of Saiyaara, Ahaan Panday will be collaborating with Ali Abbas Zafar for his next. In December, at NDTV’s Indian Of The Year event, Ahaan shared that his next with Ali Abbas Zafar is an action film, and revealed that he will likely begin the film’s shoot in a couple of months. “It is an Ali Abbas Zafar film. I don’t know if I should say too much. All I can say is I will begin shooting very soon, in a couple of months. It is an action film, and it’s being led by three people who are under the age of 30. It’s something that has not been done for a very long time. Audiences will have to wait for it,” he said. Besides Ahaan, the film will also star Sharvari in the lead.