Ahaan Panday is still adjusting to the fact that Saiyaara has made him the country's most popular celebrity.

After his first movie became one of the most popular love stories in Indian cinema history, the actor was thrown into stardom.

The 27-year-old explained in a recent interview that he was lost after losing a loved one prior to his debut, his confidence was destroyed by a personal loss before he achieved success.

Ahaan had to endure a tumultuous few years prior to Saiyaara, during which his acting debut was repeatedly postponed. At the same time, this personal loss occurred.

He told The Hollywood Reporter India, "I would have to tell myself to [keep the faith] because things weren’t going the way I wanted them to. Something happened in my personal life that left me shattered. A person very important to me [passed away], and she was my backbone; the only person that would call me a hero every day in my home and always meant it. And I think once she (died) that confidence started to shatter; the only way to deal with that was to just keep working, and that’s what I did."

Ahaan worked as an assistant director in several films before he was cast in Mohit Suri's Saiyaara. "I would always remind myself: to assist on a set is a dream for millions. To be able to pursue art is a luxury; most people didn’t get to do that, but I did. That kept me going," he added.