Aneet Padda performed Alia Bhatt’s ‘Highway’ scene for ‘Saiyaara’ audition; casting director Shanoo Sharma calls her ‘gold’: ‘She blew my mind’

Aneet Padda, a rising star in Bollywood, has a special connection with the actress Alia Bhatt. Not only is Aneet a long-time admirer of Alia, but her debut film, ‘Saiyaara’, also shares ties with Alia’s family. The film is directed by Mohit Suri, Alia Bhatt’s cousin, which makes the connection even more interesting. But now there’s one more link revealed made Aneet’s journey into Bollywood even more special.

The audition that changed her path

For her audition in ‘Saiyaara’, Aneet performed a famous scene from Alia’s film ‘Highway’. This was a key moment that impressed the casting director, Shanoo Sharma. She recalls how she first contacted Aneet when the actress was just 19 years old.

Shanoo said, “Aneet, I contacted her when she was 19, for a part in 'Vijay 69'. I saw her on a video call and was like, ‘She’s stunning. She’s beautiful.’ She was doing her whole college zone at that time. So she was like, ‘Ma’am, I really don’t know if I can skip. I have exams.’ I said, ‘Okay, that’s fine. But whenever you’re done with college, come to me first.’”

Shanoo’s promised to work with Aneet

Shanoo adds, “I said, ‘I want to work with you. I want to do something with you. Just come to me first.’ Now, Nitya Mehra, she had seen her short film, which I hadn’t. I hadn’t seen any of Aneet’s work. Nitya had taken her (for Big Girls Don’t Cry), and I was unaware of this.”

Their meeting again in Mumbai

The two met again when Aneet came to Mumbai to promote ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’. Shanoo remembers, “We worked for two to three days, did photoshoots and everything. I gave her a scene, which is the bible scene, ‘Highway’. I gave her that scene and called a senior actor, Manish Wadhwa, to do it with her. We shot that, and I was like, ‘I have gold. I have gold in my hand.’ She blew my mind. She won me at hello.”

‘Saiyaara’ turns a blockbuster success

Aneet’s debut film ‘Saiyaara’, starring alongside Ahaan Panday, has become a huge success. Released on July 18, the film has crossed Rs 500 crore at the global box office. It is now counted among the biggest hits of the year.