Meet Saiyaara star Ahaan Panday’s father Chikki - the man who ended Salman and Shah Rukh Khan's feud

Ahaan Panday’s debut film, Saiyaara, is now in theatres and is receiving rave reviews from both critics and fans. Backed by Yash Raj Films and directed by Mohit Suri, the film marks the acting debut of Ahaan Panday, who comes from one of the most influential families in the industry. He is the cousin of actress Ananya Panday and the nephew of actor Chunky Panday.

But did you know who Ahaan's father is, and the quiet yet powerful role he has played in Bollywood over the years, including being instrumental in the patch-up between Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan?

Who is Ahaan Panday's father?

Ahaan is the latest nepo kid to step into Bollywood. He is the son of Chikki Panday, also known as Aloke Sharad Panday, and wellness coach Deanne Panday. Chikki is a Mumbai-based businessman, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Akshara Foundation of Arts & Learning, a non-profit aimed at supporting underprivileged children. He co-founded the foundation alongside Ranjeet Deshmukh, a former Congress minister and ex-President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.

In addition to this, he also holds a reputed position in several well-known companies. As per a Reddit post, Chikki is a member of the Steel Consumers Council under the Govt. of India, the Telephone Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Communications & IT.

Screengrab of a Reddit post Photograph: (Reddit)

Apart from his business and political connections, Chikki and Deanne have very close relations with industry, and one of the closest friends of the Chikki is Shah Rukh Khan. Their friendship dates back decades.

Shah Rukh Khan’s television debut, Fauji, was directed by Colonel Kapoor, who happens to be the uncle of both Chunky and Chikki Panday. The Panday brothers were among Shah Rukh’s first friends when he moved to Mumbai. When Chikki married Deanne, the wedding was a low-key affair, but Shah Rukh was one of the few close friends who attended.

When Chikki got married to Deanne, it was a low-key event, and Shah Rukh was one of the close friends who attended.

Chikki ended Salman and Shah Rukh's war

In 2013, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan ended their five-year-long feud at Baba Siddique’s Iftar party. While the credit for the reconciliation often goes to the late Baba Siddique, industry insiders claim that Chikki Panday was the mastermind behind the reunion.

Chikki, who is close with Congress politician Baba Siddiqui, allegedly joined the dots between Salman, SRK, and Siddiqui and realised all three were game for an iftar hug and photo-op reconciliation, as per a Reddit post.

It has even been said that the reunion was already planned, and the Khans were on board. Even Chikki is very close to Salman.

Saiyaara Review

WION's Shomini Sen wrote in her review, ‘’The good news that that Mohit Suri and casting agent Shanoo Sharma have been able to find two actors who seem to have a very promising future in the Hindi film industry. Ahaan Panday, a known face from Dubsmash days, is charming and good-looking and reminds you of his uncle Chunky Panday from his younger days. Ahaan off screen charming persona is familiar to those who are regular on social media, but on screen, he plays a troubled and arrogant man who has too much angst to make it big. It's only when he meets Vani (Padda) that he realizes his true calling and finds love. Ahaan plays the part well, even though at some point, one feels his dialogue delivery needs more work,'' read the review here: