Ahaan Panday had a dream debut in Bollywood with Mohit Suri’s ‘Saiyaara’ last year. His namesake, Ahan Shetty, however, faced a tougher start with his debut ‘Tadap’ and is now aiming for a comeback with the sequel to his father’s classic cult war drama, ‘Border’. As he gears up for ‘Border 2’, which releases this Friday, Ahan opened up in a conversation with ‘Bombay Times’ about the comparisons he has faced with Ahaan Panday, calling them unfair.
“Today, people just react to what they see in a three-second clip. That is what’s happening in my generation. We’re being put up against each other. I am aware of comparisons between Ahaan Panday and me. I know that guy. I know how hard he’s worked for his film and everything that he’s done to prepare for it. There’s no competition between us. We have our own careers.” He also added, “There is so much love and respect amongst each other and that is what needs to come out. We’re all one industry. Social media has created a divide and that’s why you don’t see so much support for one another.”
Suniel Shetty, too, spoke candidly about the harsh realities of the film industry and how failure is often scrutinised harshly. “We always want our kids to be happy and I am not talking about success. I’m scared of failure in the industry and not of success. In other fields, when you fall, you get up and start walking. Here, when you fall, the world looks at you and they make you feel that you’re nothing.” He further explained a common misconception: “People feel that Hindi film actors are illiterate; they don’t know anything. We know a lot and we are smart. In today’s times, failure is sometimes more celebrated than success. It’s a fact.”
In the same conversation, Suniel also voiced support for Varun Dhawan, who has been at the receiving end of online trolling, particularly after the launch of the song ‘Ghar Kab Aaoge’ from ‘Border 2’: “Has anybody seen the film? Nobody has seen the film. We’ve seen glimpses of the film. Varun Dhawan will kill it in the film; he’s outstanding. Varun is not playing himself; he is playing a decorated officer who’s given his life for the country. So, I think we should think a little bit before we go out there and say these things. Today, it’s very easy to trash someone and run them down.”