India, Dec. 24 -- When Mohit Suri's Saiyaara released earlier this year, few could have predicted the cultural reset it would beckon. The romantic drama, starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, turned into one of 2025's biggest youth sensations - drawing massive crowds, endless social media chatter, and a level of fan frenzy rarely seen since the early days of Bollywood blockbusters. Theatres reported young fans sobbing and cheering through the climax, while online edits of Ahaan and Aneet flooded Instagram overnight.

The success of Saiyaara made Ahaan a household name almost instantly. But while audiences saw a rising star, his family saw their quiet, everyday life transform within a week. His mother, Deanne Panday, recalls those early d...