Ahaan Panday's debut film Saiyaara continues to rock at the box office. The film crossed the Rs 300-crore mark at the domestic box office within three weeks of its release.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Yash Raj Films' casting director Shanoo Sharma revealed that she first approached the actor when he was just 19.
“Ahaan's been alongside me for nearly nine years,” she mentioned.
Shanoo added, "He was 19 when we met, but he looked 15! I spotted a post of him doing something quirky online, found him intriguing and asked to meet. But he actually refused at first, he thought we'd reject him because he was tanned and didn't fit the usual mould but the day we finally met, I just knew that he and I are going to be working together.”
After the first meeting, Ahaan Panday became an unofficial member of the YRF family long before Saiyaara's release.
“He was so enthusiastic about learning, so unrefined yet so ambitious. He had this knack for achieving his desires in the most endearing manner. And he was passionate about YRF - he would often say, ‘I'm going to be here every single day,'” Shanoo recalled.
In a previous interview with NDTV, Saiyaara director Mohit Suri shared Ahaan and Aneet Padda's reaction to their film's success. The filmmaker stated that he speaks to both the actors every day.
“Once in the morning, once at night. They keep sending me videos. They're so happy, they're getting recognised. For them, every day is new, and they want to share it with me. They keep asking, 'Why aren't you here?' It's very sweet,” Mohit Suri said.
"Ahaan and Aneet don't yet know what's coming next but they're soaking it all in," Mohit added.
Ahaan Panday has turned out to be the most successful debutant in Bollywood in recent times.