Ahaan Panday rejects starkid label as his father 'Chikki Panday is not a star'

Ahaan Panday rejects being a star kid

Despite his superhit debut in Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara and his unmistakable links to Bollywood families, Ahaan Panday insists he is not a star kid.

The young actor, who impressed audiences and critics alike with his first film earlier this year, is now clarifying why he believes the label doesn’t apply to him.

Ahaan is the son of businessman Chikki Panday and former model Deanne Panday. He is the nephew of actor Chunky Panday, and has grown up adjacent to the film world.

His father is also known for his decades-long friendship with Shah Rukh Khan, and Ahaan himself was often spotted in his childhood circle with Aryan Khan. Yet, the actor says proximity didn’t equate to access.

In a new interview with GQ, the Saiyaara star explained that he never felt like he belonged to the privileged bracket audiences associate with “star kids.” He said, “I can’t speak from experience because Chikki Panday 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 unfairly grouped with the star-kid generation, Ahaan offered an unexpectedly introspective response. “I’ve always felt like the place I come from is behind a fence,” he said. “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.”

Also Read: Ahaan Panday reveals cousin Ananya Panday never advised him before Saiyaara, says 'but her journey inspires me...'

That “other side of the fence,” he adds, taught him valuable lessons. Growing up around successful actors gave him a unique understanding of the craft and the pressures that accompany fame—even if he wasn’t directly a part of it.

Ahaan shared that his parents were never eager for him to join films, having seen the uncertainties of the profession through his uncle Chunky Panday’s career. But things shifted when Ahaan auditioned at 16. “My parents didn’t have expectations either; they thought acting was just a hobby… When they saw the film, they were emotional… because they realised I genuinely love what I’m doing.”

Next, Ahaan will star in Ali Abbas Zafar’s upcoming action film for YRF, alongside Sharvari.