In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Yash Raj Films’ casting director Shanoo Sharma opened up about the long wait leading up to Saiyaara and the unwavering faith shared between Aditya Chopra and actor Ahaan Panday. Sharma revealed that despite tempting offers from outside the YRF fold, Panday made a conscious choice to wait for his big break with the banner.
YRF casting director Shanoo Sharma reveals how Ahaan Panday chose loyalty over lucrative offers before Saiyaara; says he was ‘ready to wait’
Recalling a pivotal meeting, Sharma said that just before the release of Pathaan, Aditya Chopra called in Ahaan Panday and his parents for an honest conversation. “This is not something anybody knows,” Sharma said. “Ahaan was getting attention from outside, where agencies were trying to poach him. Adi sir told them, ‘I have full faith in this boy. I’m going to launch him. But post-pandemic, the films have not done well at YRF, and they’re not doing well even outside. I don’t know when I’m going to be able to launch him. If you’re losing patience, I don’t want to come in the way—please go. I will work with you whenever we have something.’”
The decision was left entirely to Ahaan. Sharma recalled that without hesitation, the young actor replied, “Sir, I’ll wait. I’ll stay here. Whenever you have something for me, I will wait.” For Chopra, Sharma said, this moment became less about his faith in Panday and more about the actor’s faith in him. “For a boy of this generation to take that kind of decision, not knowing where things are going to go, that’s an old-school sort of zone. And I think that’s why I have faith in him,” she explained.
Sharma also highlighted the years of preparation that went into grooming Panday before Saiyaara. “The first three years went into training. We trained and trained. We got Sharvari [Wagh] and him to do improvisations and scenes, over and over again,” she said.
The casting director, known for spotting and nurturing fresh talent, credited her own nature for standing by those she believes in. “If I have faith in somebody, I’m not going to let them go. I’m going to be there right through,” she added.
With Saiyaara now setting the cash registers ringing at the box office, the film marks not just the debut of Ahaan Panday but also the culmination of years of trust, patience, and persistence—a rare story in the current fast-paced entertainment industry.
More Pages: Saiyaara Box Office Collection , Saiyaara Movie Review
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