As Saiyaara entered the Rs 300 crore club in India and crossed the Rs 500 crore mark worldwide, the cast and crew came together in the city on Saturday and celebrated the film's success. Sharing photos from the bash, debutante Ahaan Panday's mother, Deanne Panday, penned a gratitude note for casting director Shanoo Sharma, at a time when she is being criticised for her "weird casting process".
Deanne shared a slew of photos from the success bash of Saiyaara in which Ahaan can be seen with co-star Aneet Padda and director Mohit Suri, among others. She began the note on Instagram saying, "My sweet son can’t take his eyes of his director, I can see the love & attachment he has for him, so much gratitude for having you in our lives @mohitsuri you are the best, you are magical (sic)."
Deanne Panday's note for Shanoo Sharma
Deanne then went on to pen a special note for Shanoo, who picked Ahaan for Saiyaara, and wrote, "My @shanoosharmarahihai I have so much love for you, so much to say to you, will sit with you soon to pour my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you for being there for my Ahaan, love you (sic)."
She also praised the other members of the film's team, and showered love on Aneet.
Ending the note with a few emotional lines for Ahaan, Deanne wrote, "My son @ahaanpandayy you are my heart, my soul, my life, my everything. Thank you for bring an angel on earth towards me, dad, your sister & everyone around you. Stay like this forever. Love you so much, so proud of you, keep shining, keep the faith always my child (sic)."
Shanoo Sharma casting allegations
Deanne's praise for Shanoo comes at a time, when several actors, including Isha Talwar, publically called out her "weird" casting process. The Mirzapur actress shared that almost a decade ago, when she had gone to meet Shanoo for a casting call, the latter asked her to start crying in the middle of a busy cafe.
"It was such a confusing/weird ask... It shattered my confidence as a young girl in films," she had said.
Later, Mary Kom actor Bijou Thaangjam also opened up on a similar experience with Shanoo and shared, "My very first film audition was with her, for Byomkesh Bakshy. I wasn’t fluent in Hindi, not very confident, but hopeful to give it my best. And just like your experience, I was asked to perform a scene right in front of a cafe (sic)," he wrote on social media.
He said that he refused to perform in that setting and left, but he received a call a few days later for a "proper studio audition. "But by then, I had already signed Mary Kom," Bijou said.
