Ahaan Panday reflects on filming Virat Kohli tribute scene in ‘Saiyaara’; reveals he completely surrendered: ‘I had to tap…’

Ahaan Panday’s debut film ‘Saiyaara’ has become a big hit, winning hearts even after more than 50 days in cinemas. Starring with Aneet Padda, Ahaan’s raw and emotional acting has caught everyone’s attention and received a lot of praise, especially a heartfelt cricket pitch scene that fans are talking about non-stop.

The film’s unexpected success even made the makers of ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ and ‘Param Sundari’ delay their releases. Clips of people crying in theatres went viral, while social media praised the story’s emotions and the amazing chemistry between Ahaan and Aneet.

Cricket tribute becomes fans’ favourite scene

One scene in particular stole the show. Aneet Padda, trying to cheer up Ahaan Panday after he had a fight with his father, imitates Virat Kohli’s famous cricket shot. The scene, powerful and real, became the turning point of the story and the start of the film’s romantic story.

Recently, Ahaan talked about filming this powerful scene, where he pays tribute to cricket star Virat Kohli.

Ahaan talks about challenges in character

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ahaan said that stepping into his character Krish for this scene was both hard and freeing. “For the character, I had to tap into things before. During the auditioning process, we’d always create the scenes, so when I was on set, I just let go of everything. I had to let go of the habit of directing myself. I completely surrendered and submitted to sir," he explained.

Vulnerability made the scene feel real

Ahaan said the cricket pitch scene needed complete openness and honesty. “I didn’t plan anything; we’d just learn the lines on the way because we wanted to be raw and real. We’d learn 80 percent of the lines, because we didn’t want it to be very mechanical. There were a couple of days where I was like, ‘I have to go back to that; I have to rehearse,’ but the greatest thing was Mohit sir trusted us so much."

‘Saiyaara’ becomes a box office hit

‘Saiyaara’ has made Rs 569.75 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk. The film is all set for its OTT release today, on September 12, 2025. People who missed watching the film in cinemas will now have a chance to witness Ahaan Panday-Aneet Padda’s heartfelt performance on their screens.