Aneet Padda, who made her Bollywood debut alongside Ahaan Panday in Mohit Suri's "Saiyaara," recently shared a heartwarming anecdote from her audition days. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Padda recalled a sweet gesture by Panday that occurred before she even landed the role of Vaani Batra.

Padda revealed that while she was still in the audition process for "Saiyaara," Ahaan Panday took her to Mount Mary Church in Mumbai. There, they lit a candle together. After lighting the candle, Padda asked Panday what he had wished for. A week later, after Padda received the call confirming her role in the film, Panday confessed that he had wished for her to get the part.

Aneet's journey to Bollywood wasn't easy. Hailing from Amritsar, Punjab, she dreamt of acting but lacked the resources to travel to Mumbai for auditions. Determined to pursue her passion, Padda would secretly record auditions, telling her parents she was doing homework. She knew she had to navigate this path on her own, as her family couldn't afford to support her auditioning in Mumbai. Even while completing her bachelor's degree, she found opportunities to model in advertisements, balancing her studies with her creative ambitions.

Director Mohit Suri mentioned that he was looking for a simple girl from a Punjabi background for the role of Vaani. He wanted someone with a strong value system, who is grounded and family-oriented. Suri said he found those qualities in Aneet Padda. He added that Aneet's first audition was a self-tape, and the casting director Shanoo Sharma worked with her.

"Saiyaara" marked a significant turning point in Aneet Padda's career. The film, which revolves around the love story of a struggling musician, Krrish Kapoor (played by Ahaan Panday), and an aspiring journalist and poet, Vaani Batra (played by Aneet Padda), hit theaters on July 18 and turned both actors into overnight sensations. The film has achieved commercial success and has been praised for the on-screen chemistry between Panday and Padda. The movie has also become the highest-grossing film directed by debutants. To celebrate the film's success, Aneet and Ahaan revisited Mount Mary Church, where they had first prayed for Aneet to get the role.

Ahaan Panday also shared his experiences, including the challenges he faced before landing his debut role. He recalled a difficult period when he lost someone very important to him, which shook his confidence. He emphasized that the only way to cope with the loss was to keep working towards his goal. Panday also addressed feeling wronged by people in the past but chose to channel that into his acting.