Ahaan Panday Was An AD For The Railway Men; He's A Beautiful Boy: Dibyendu Bhattacharya

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Actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya spoke about Saiyaara star Ahaan Panday, revealing they bonded when the latter was an AD on The Railway Men sets.
Actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya, an alumnus of the prestigious National School of Drama, started his film career in 2001 with Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding. He has spent over two decades in the world of entertainment and, of late, is gaining prominence with his choice of roles in projects such as Jamtara, Dev D, Poachers, and others. In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, Dibyendu spoke about the film industry and reflected on the time he met Ahaan Panday on the sets of The Railway Men, where the Saiyaara star was working as an Assistant Director (AD).
Dibyendu spoke warmly about Saiyaara and his personal connection with debutant Ahaan Panday. 'I'm very happy about Saiyaara because Ahaan is a beautiful boy. When I was doing The Railway Men, Ahaan was an AD on the set. He used to come to my van and take me to the set – we'd talk a lot. I just spoke to him two days ago. He called me and I was so happy for him. Yeh hi toh din hote hain jo aap umeed karte ho ki industry mein aayein (These are the days that you wish for when you mark your debut in films)," he said.
Cracking the code about what works in the film industry is very difficult. There are many star kids who've recently debuted in films but Ahaan Panday just blew the charts. Commenting on this, Dibyendu said, 'I'm so happy for that boy."
Dibyendu says there is no formula to crack this industry
Dibyendu Bhattacharya further reflected on how difficult it is to stand out in an industry filled with emerging talents. When asked about the increasing importance of film promotions and how a film like Saiyaara became a nationwide sensation despite minimal marketing, Dibyendu said, 'Yeh bolna bahut mushkil hai (It's very difficult to say). There is no mathematics. I think agar yeh mathematics kisi ko pata hota na, toh duniya ki saari filmein hit hoti (If anyone knew the code then all films would have been hits). Even Warner Bros doesn't know, Dharma doesn't know, Yash Raj doesn't know. No production house really knows what will work."
He explained how unpredictable the audience's taste can be and how the best marketing strategies can fall flat if the film doesn't connect emotionally. 'Agar aapko pata hota ki kis tareeke se isko market karna hai, toh sab kar lete (If anyone knew the correct marketing tool, everyone would do so). A good film should sell even without marketing. And it's also very difficult to know what audiences will like. You don't know what will click."
For Dibyendu, the only reliable constant in this industry is sincerity. 'Mujhe lagta hai ki shiddat se film banate jaiye aur kaam karte jaiye. Baaki sab cheezein destiny pe chhodd dijiye. Kaunsi film chalegi, kya hoga, yeh koi nahi jaanta (I believe one should keep making films with sincerity and continue working hard. Leave everything else to destiny. No one knows which film will work or what will happen)."
On the work front, Dibyendu Bhattacharya was last seen in Fateh and Kapkapii. As for Ahaan Panday's Saiyaara, the film is just inches away from crossing Rs 200 crore within a week of its release.
First Published:
July 26, 2025, 19:10 IST
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