Ahan Shetty opens up about wanting to be an actor since he was 11, says he got Tadap with his merit

Contrary to the popular perception that star kids have it easy in the film industry, newcomer Ahan Shetty, son of actor Suniel Shetty, said it has taken him years of hard work and training to bag his debut film Tadap.

Ahan Shetty is making his debut opposite "Student of the Year 2" actor Tara Sutaria in Bollywood with the remake of the 2018 Telugu romantic-action-drama RX 100. The Hindi version is titled Tadap and is directed by Milan Luthria. The film is produced by noted filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala, who had collaborated with Suniel Shetty on the 1993 romantic action comedy Waqt Hamara Hai. In an interview with PTI, Ahan Shetty recounted how he landed his first film purely on the basis of merit.

"I was training for several years. I would meet producers and directors on sets as they are my father's friends and colleagues but that doesn't mean I would get a break from them. I wouldn't say it was easy. Sajid sir saw my action and dance videos and called me, he asked me to send him a few audition tapes. Basically, it (me getting this film) wasn't anything to do with my father being an actor. I got the film because of my talent," the newcomer said.

Ahan Shetty said he wanted to be an actor since the age of 11 and soon after his graduation in 2014 he started learning the ropes of acting, besides training in action and dance. He also shared that like any other upcoming actor he met various directors and producers but nothing materialised, till Nadiadwala signed a contract with him five years ago.

"I have been training for 12 to 13 years in acting, action, dance, Hindi diction, singing, playing guitar, etc. I signed a contract with Sajid sir in 2016. He felt I wasn't ready and mature enough so I continued with my training. Sajid sir and I went through a lot of different scripts. In 2018, he bought the rights of RX 100' and we decided to do this film. Then I focused more on film specifically. It has been a long journey but I am more excited to show this world my work."

What intrigued Nadiadwala and Ahan Shetty about RX 100, the budding actor said, was an edgy modern-day love story. In "Tadap", the actor plays the role of a young fun-loving yet aggressive man named Ishana.

"It is not a typical love story, it's the same character but with two different personalities and this really posed a challenge to me but I took it up. Ishana has two different personalities, one is fun and loving and second is very angry and aggressive. It was a bit difficult to play this part. I had to juggle between the two but I am thankful to my director. He made the process easy for me and even my co-star Tara helped me," he added.

Asked if his father gave him any advice for his first film, the actor said, He just said, 'Be happy and be comfortable with what you are doing'.

"Every son wants to be like his father, said Ahan Shetty, adding that his inclination towards action comes from Suniel Shetty, one of the best action heroes of Bollywood in the 1990s. I would see his body language, the way he would emote scenes. I learnt a few things subconsciously from him. Even though I did my acting workshops, a lot of it has come from my father.I remember watching his action movies, I feel I got into martial arts by watching him. My action, my body language has come from my father," he said, adding, Border, Hera Pheri, Hu Tu Tu, Aan, Main Hoon Na are some of his favourite movies of his father.

Tadap is scheduled to be released theatrically on December 3.