As Ahan Shetty makes his debut with Tadap, he says his father, Sunil Shetty, did not offer much advice as he ventured into Bollywood

After Sunil Shetty’s daughter Athiya Shetty, it is his son, Ahan Shetty, who will make a big Bollywood debut with Milan Luthria’s film Tadap. The trailer, which has grossed over 2.3 million views, has Ahan starring opposite Student of The Year 2-fame Tara Sutaria. An official remake of Telugu hit RX 100, it will be released in theatres on December 3. The lead pair share their experience, off-camera chemistry and working under Covid guidelines.

Common ground

While in the trailer we see their love-hate relationship, off-camera both come off as shy personalities. Tara says, “He and I are both shy. I have become less reserved in the last three years after I joined the film industry. We have a certain understanding which shows in our chemistry too. When we were doing our rehearsals and workshops, we started knowing each other well and that worked.”

Audiences’ call

About the pressure of being a star kid, Ahan says, “Of course, the pressure is there. But with it, there’s an understanding that it’s not in our hands. Finally, it’s up to the audience. At the end of the day if they accept me, I will be grateful.” As for any word of advice from Sunil Shetty before he stepped into Bollywood, the actor says his father had none. Adds Ahan, “He (Sunil Shetty) actually has not given me much advice. He always lets me do things the way I wanted to do. One thing that he told me was — ‘If you can’t be a good actor, you should be a good human being’. If I achieve 20 per cent of what my dad did, I’ll feel very happy.”

On the other hand, Tara, who is three films senior to Ahan, believes, “The resilience and the strength which I have today, I wouldn’t have discovered had I not started acting. You also gradually discover skills which you need to have as an actor. It’s important to know who you are and what you stand for.”

New normal

The pandemic has changed many things and for Tara it brought the realisation of things which mattered — family and close friends. “Our focus should be on them. It’s important to prioritise things. As far as shooting goes, the production team and actors took a collective responsibility to shoot in a bio-bubble,” she informs.

The transformation

For this action-packed love story, the actor had to put on 11 kilos; he adds, “After I finished my school in 2014, I have trained in all areas —from my diction to martial arts to the guitar and more. For this film I have put extra efforts for my action scenes.”

Source of happiness

Ahan believes it is important to be surrounded by people who push you. “My sister Athiya is a great support. During childhood we used to fight a lot, but in last few years have come closer. My girlfriend Tania Shroff also has been a great source of happiness,” he adds. — TNS

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