Saiyaara's antagonist Shaan Grover recalls auditioning for Mardaani 2 and later joining YRF’s casting team, before finally realising his Bollywood dream with the antagonist act in the Mohit Suri directorial
(L-R) Shaan Grover with director Mohit Suri
Shaan R Grover belongs to that rare breed who is happy that his social media, over the past few days, has been flooded with hate messages. To the actor, it’s proof that his negative turn in Saiyaara has hit a chord with the audience. “Boys have been messaging me that they hated my character, while girls are leaving comments that they loved my performance. I’m happy people are showing love for my work, even if it’s through hate messages,” laughs Grover, who plays Aneet Padda’s former boyfriend in the love story.
Mohit Suri’s directorial venture, which serves as Ahaan Panday and Padda’s Bollywood launchpad, also marks Grover’s first Hindi film. If things were different, he would have debuted years ago with another Yash Raj Films’ (YRF) offering. “I had auditioned for Mardaani 2 [2019], but I didn’t get through. I’ve had a long connection with YRF as I was a part of Shanoo Sharma’s casting team from 2016 for a year. After seeing my dubsmash videos, she felt there was something special about me. So, she trained me for a year.”
A still from Saiyaara
Around that time, Grover first met Panday, both unaware that they’d go on to share screen space. What bound them was their love for Hindi movies and Shah Rukh Khan. He recalls, “I remember both of us saw Jab Harry Met Sejal [2017] on the first day, and we spoke about it for three-four hours. I love Ahaan. He has given a brilliant performance because he is a Hindi movie keeda.”
Rs 145 CR
Saiyaara’s estimated domestic box-office collection
Start small, dream big
Before Saiyaara, Shaan Grover featured in the web series, RejectX (2020) and Dus June Ki Raat (2024)
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