A resurfaced clip of Khushi Kapoor expressing her desire to debut alongside Ahaan Panday has ignited a wave of mixed reactions on the internet, with some critics suggesting it's fortunate that the collaboration never materialized. The clip originates from a 2019 appearance on Neha Dhupia's chat show, where Khushi, when asked to choose between Ahaan Panday, Aryan Khan, and Meezan Jaaferi as her potential first co-star, picked Ahaan. Her reasoning was that she had only seen Ahaan act out of the three, deeming him the "safest option".
Interestingly, Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi's sister, who was also on the show, voiced a different opinion, stating she would have preferred Khushi to debut opposite Meezan Jaaferi. At the time of the interview, Khushi, still in school, clarified that while she had thought about her debut, it wasn't imminent. She also mentioned that her father, Boney Kapoor, would have the final say on her first co-star, but she was confident she could convince him if needed.
Ahaan Panday, cousin of actress Ananya Panday, recently made his Bollywood debut in Saiyaara, drawing considerable attention. Khushi Kapoor, on the other hand, debuted in 2023 with Zoya Akhtar's The Archies. The resurgence of the old interview has sparked commentary, particularly in light of Ahaan's recent entry into the film industry.
The online response to Khushi's old preference has been varied. Some netizens expressed relief that she wasn't cast in Saiyaara, with one comment suggesting that "If Khushi was in Saiyara it would have flopped," and that Aneet Padda's acting was crucial to the film's success. Another user wrote, "Thank goodness this didn't happen! She would have sabotaged his debut, and the film would have performed poorly". Others were harsher, with one Reddit user stating, "Everyone got saved from her horrendous acting. Her presence would have tanked the movie from [the] first scene itself. She has no charisma, no innocence in her". Some have speculated that Khushi's presence in Saiyaara would have negatively impacted the film's performance.
Despite the criticism, some have noted Ahaan Panday's strategic approach to his career, contrasting it with other star kids. He reportedly focused on acting, avoided debuting with fellow star kids, and waited for a lead role that suited him. Ahaan was even offered the role of Vedang Raina in The Archies but he refused as he didn't want to play the second fiddle to Agastya.
Khushi and Ahaan are currently awaiting new projects. Aryan Khan, son of Shah Rukh Khan, is preparing for his directorial debut with a Netflix series.
