Ahaan Panday opens up about secret shoulder surgery after Saiyaara; says doctor warned his body would ‘go back to zero’

Ahaan Panday, who made headlines with his debut film Saiyaara, is now preparing for his next big outing — an untitled action-romance directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, opposite Sharvari. As part of the prep, the actor is undergoing a major physical transformation.

In a recent interview with Esquire India, Ahaan revealed that he underwent a major shoulder surgery after the release of Saiyaara — something he had chosen to keep private until now.

‘It’s one of the most painful surgeries you can do’

Ahaan shared that the surgery stemmed from a snowmobile accident a few years ago that resulted in a shoulder subluxation. The injury hampered his ability to train properly, especially when he needed peak fitness for an action film.

“I actually got a whole surgery done after the release of Saiyaara last year. And it’s one of the most painful surgeries you can do, with the longest recovery time,” he said.

‘My body would go back to zero’

The actor revealed that doctors had cautioned him about the physical toll the procedure would take.

“He told me my body would ‘go back to zero’,” Ahaan said, explaining that he would have to rebuild everything from scratch — muscle, strength, mobility — at a time when he needed to look action-ready.

Speaking about the challenge, he added, “I used to feel motivated by actors who had dramatic gym transformations. But that was usually from a certain unhealthy body type to a healthy one. This was different; I went from being injured, to not being able to move, to not being able to lift, to being able to lift.”

Months in a cast — and fans had no clue

Ahaan also revealed that he spent months in a cast during recovery, yet managed to stay away from public attention.

“I don’t know how nobody realised!” he said.

A few fans, however, sensed something was amiss and reached out to his mother, Deanne Panday, wondering why he was losing weight.

“Since I’m not online too much they started asking her because she’s into fitness and all. They were like, why is he losing so much weight,” he shared.



Now back in training, Ahaan seems ready to convert his most painful setback into a powerful comeback.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”