Feb 20, 2026 5:08pm IST
‘Saiyaara’ breakout star Ahaan Panday Begins Ali Abbas Zafar’s Film by March-end; Combat Sequences to be Shot in the UK (EXCLUSIVE)
Following his blockbuster debut with “Saiyaara,” Ahaan Pandey is gearing up to return to the sets for his second feature film. Variety India has exclusively learned that Ahaan begins shooting for Ali Abbas Zafar's action romance in the last week of March in Mumbai.
Ahaan and the film's leading heroine, Sharvari, will begin the journey of the YRF film with a 24-27-day first schedule in Mumbai. The team will then move to the UK for an extensive second leg of shooting. “Ahaan will kick off the London schedule in May 2026 with a massive action sequence that will be shot over five days. He has been vigorously preparing for the role and has undergone intense hand-to-hand combat and weapon training. This film will present him in a completely different avatar from ‘Saiyaara,’” said a source close to the project.
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The untitled project is expected to wrap by July 2026, with a theatrical release targeted for early 2027. Ahaan and Sharvari play the romantic leads, while Aaishvary Thackeray, who made his stellar Bollywood debut with Anurag Kashyap's “Nishaanchi,” is said to be playing the antagonist. The film marks Ali Abbas Zafar's return to the YRF banner after a nine-year hiatus. Previously, he delivered major successes for the company, including “Mere Brother Ki Dulhan,” “Gunday,” “Sultan,” and “Tiger Zinda Hai.”
Ahaan made his debut last year with Mohit Suri's “Saiyaara,” which went on to become the all-time highest-grossing love story in the history of Indian cinema. Groomed under the mentorship of Aditya Chopra, Ahaan was trained at YRF for over seven years before making his spectacular debut in the musical romance alongside Aneet Padda.
Read More About: Ahan Panday, Ali Abbas Zafar, Sharvari
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Hand-to-hand combat, weapon training, and UK schedules 👀 This looks like a major scale-up for Ahaan. Hoping Ali Abbas Zafar delivers another Sultan / Gunday level entertainer.