Aneet Padda Shares Alia Bhatt’s Heartfelt Praise After Saiyaara’s Blockbuster Success

Director Mohit Suri made a powerful return to the big screen this year with Saiyaara, a romantic drama that not only stormed the box office but also launched two fresh faces into stardom — Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. While Ahaan marked his Bollywood debut, Aneet, who had previously appeared in Bad Girls Don’t Cry and Salaam Venky, truly found her breakout role with Saiyaara.

In her first solo interview since the film’s release, Aneet spoke to Cosmopolitan India and shared a heartfelt moment she had with her longtime idol, Alia Bhatt. Known for her admiration of Alia, Aneet revealed that as a child she would often rehearse Bhatt’s iconic monologues in front of the mirror. “I would talk to myself in the bathroom mirror and practise all of Bhatt’s monologues, thinking, ‘How can I do it?’ and then, ‘How can I do it my way?’” she said.

So, when Alia Bhatt personally called her after watching Saiyaara, Aneet was overwhelmed. “She gushed about the film for nearly ten minutes,” Aneet recalled, describing the experience as surreal.

Alia had already taken to social media to publicly praise the film and its lead pair. In a post on Instagram, she wrote: “It’s safe to say… two beautiful, magical STARS are born. @aneetpadda_ @ahaanpandayy — I don’t remember the last time I looked at two actors with such awe... You both shine with such individuality, such honesty — I could watch you again, and again, and again.”

She also had high praise for director Mohit Suri, writing, “What a film. What feeling. What music! You made me feel things that only the movies can make you feel. Saiyaara is full of heart, full of soul, full of something that just stays with you.”

Backed by Yash Raj Films and Aditya Chopra, Saiyaara tells the poignant story of a struggling musician who falls in love with a poet and aspiring journalist, only to be torn apart by a heartbreaking truth. The film’s emotional depth and soulful music struck a chord with audiences, making it the highest-grossing romantic drama in Indian cinema with a worldwide collection of ₹569.75 crore.