AhaanPanday says his father isn’t a star, and he comes from behind a fence

The young star spoke about privilege, noting that he was surrounded by the film industry but was never in it.

AhaanPanday, the Saiyaara star, recently opened up about privilege as someone who was surrounded by the film industry but was never a part of it. Ahaan is the son of businessman ChikkiPanday and former model Deanne Panday, nephew of actor Chunky Panday and cousin to AnanyaPanday. He has often been called a ‘star kid’, even though neither of his parents is a Bollywood star.

AhaanPanday says he was never part of the industry, but was surrounded by it.

The young actor has several links to the film industry, with his father being one of Shah Rukh Khan’s closest friends, and Ahaan himself being a childhood friend of Aryan Khan. In a new interview, the Saiyaara actor shared that he believes he ‘comes from behind a fence’. In a chat with GQ, when asked if the audience is critical of star kids today, Ahaan replied, “I can’t speak from experience because ChikkiPanday is not a star. But if I have to speak on behalf of my friends, I think each has their own trials and tribulations.” When asked if he feels he is being ‘unfairly grouped with star kids’. Ahaan shared, “I’ve always felt like the place I come from is behind a fence. I can reach out through it, but I can’t quite touch what’s on the other side. Even as a child, I felt that way, surrounded by the film industry, but never really in it. What I consider my privilege is that I got to see it all up close. Being around people who were excelling in the industry taught me a lot from the other side of that fence.”

Ahaan further spoke about how his parents weren’t keen on him joining the industry.

The Saiyaara star revealed that his parents weren’t keen on him joining the film industry because they had witnessed his uncle, Chunky Panday, go through ups and downs in Bollywood. But at the age of 16, when Ahaan gave his first audition, he was not scared. He explained, “My parents didn’t have expectations either; they thought acting was just a hobby. They had no idea I could even act. When they saw the film, they were emotional, not because it did well, but because they realised I genuinely love what I’m doing. That made them extremely happy.”

Ahaan will next be seen in Ali Abbas Zafar’s actioner, backed by YRF, alongside Sharvari.