Ahaan Panday has been tapped to make his acting debut as the lead in the latest Hindi feature from director Mohit Suri. The untitled Yash Raj Films production is billed as a young love story and is set to begin shooting later this year. Further cast is yet to be announced.
Panday was signed as a Yash Raj Films Talent five years ago to go through intensive training programs devised by the production company’s Chairman and Managing Director, Aditya Chopra, who we’re told believes Panday has the potential to become one of India’s top actors.
“Ahaan has been shaped by Aditya Chopra personally for years. He has been kept under wraps by YRF so that he can focus on bettering his craft. To the industry, Ahaan Panday’s launch is by far the biggest debut by a youngster in the Hindi film industry in years and YRF is showing its intent to create a star out of him,” a source relates to Deadline.
Suri, whose credits include Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain — which were big hits in 2013 and 2014, respectively — has already been working with Panday to prepare for the upcoming romance film which is the first produced by Yash Raj CEO Akshaye Widhani. Chopra has empowered Widhani and his leadership team to build creative partnerships with the most brilliant minds in the Hindi film industry, we’re told.