Ahaan Panday turned 28 on 23 December 2025. The Saiyaara star impressed everyone with his lean physique in his debut movie.
Ahaan’s mother, Deanne Panday, is a fitness and wellness expert. She has worked with fit Bollywood stars like Jacqueline Fernandez, Bipasha Basu and John Abraham.
She worked closely with his trainer, Azhar Zaheer Shaikh. Deanne helped her son achieve the look for rockstar Krish Kapoor in the movie.
Azhar earlier told NDTV that Deanne had worked with the cook to ensure Ahaan stuck to his diet. For the final three months of the Saiyaara shoot, Ahaan ate only what was prepared for him. He never complained.
When he started training, Ahaan Panday was slightly bulky. The target was to make him lean, defined and camera-ready within a short period. According to Azhar, they aimed to lose 8-9 kilos and reveal visible abs in about 40-45 days.
Ahaan trained for 2 hours daily before the shoot began. He then adjusted the timing to accommodate his work schedule. Some days, he left home at 4 AM for training. On other days, he fit workouts into short breaks on set.
For Saiyaara, Ahaan Panday followed a demanding fitness routine six days a week. He combined weight training, yoga, cardio, boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and pilates. He combined it with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
This mix helped him build strength. It supports muscle tone and reduces the chance of injuries.
He did not follow crash diets. Instead, he focused on clean eating. For breakfast, he had eggs, oats and avocados.
"Ahaan's diet included low-carb, high-protein foods. He would eat 30 eggs a day, scaled to his schedule and tolerance. Boiled chicken was also a part of his diet," Azhar told NDTV.
Azhar advocates having 30 eggs a day to build muscles.
“The 'fanda' is simple: 30 a day to build this muscle. No shortcuts,” he wrote on Instagram.
For lunch, Ahaan Panday had grilled chicken with brown rice and vegetables. Dinner was typically a salad or a light soup. He had a mix of dry fruits along with a protein shake.
Hydration was a priority for Ahaan. Azhar made sure he drank at least 4 litres of fluids each day. But, it was not just plain water. Ahaan had electrolytes as well.
Ahaan also took essential vitamins and minerals. Salt was kept low on shoot days. So, his body avoided extra water retention.
Sleep issues
Most fitness experts recommend 7-9 hours of sleep for optimal muscle recovery after training. It helps boost growth hormone and IGF-1. It also helps repair muscle microtears caused by training.
If one sleeps for less than 7 hours, it slows recovery by up to 20%. At the same time, it raises cortisol and impairs strength gains.
Ahaan, however, struggled to manage 7-9 hours of sleep. He had a busy schedule while shooting for Saiyaara. So, Ahaan used every chance to sleep. Sometimes, he slept in his vanity van or in the car while travelling.
