Shanoo Sharma on Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda & Creating Bollywood Magic | InFocus | THR India

In this exclusive episode of InFocus on The Hollywood Reporter India, host Anupama Chopra sits down with Shanoo Sharma, the legendary casting director at Yash Raj Films who has discovered and nurtured some of Bollywood’s biggest stars. With nearly two decades of experience, Shanoo Sharma opens up about her journey of discovering talent like Ranveer Singh, Parineeti Chopra, and Arjun Kapoor, while offering unprecedented insights into the meticulous process behind launching newcomers in the Hindi film industry. The conversation takes a deep dive into her latest triumph with the blockbuster film Saiyaara, which marked the debuts of Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda under director Mohit Suri’s vision. Throughout this candid conversation on The Hollywood Reporter India’s InFocus, Shanoo Sharma reveals the challenges of keeping faith over nine years while grooming Ahaan Panday for his eventual debut, the instant chemistry she felt with Aneet Padda, and her unique philosophy of treating casting as a maternal profession. She shares fascinating anecdotes about working with Aditya Chopra, the importance of watchability in actors, and why she believes in looking for talent everywhere—from Instagram to wedding celebrations. This rare interview offers aspiring actors invaluable advice while showcasing the woman whose keen eye for talent has shaped modern Bollywood. #ShanooSharma #bollywood #saiyaara 0:00 Introduction 2:12 Magical response to Saiyaara’s release 6:01 “I’m not going to let them go” 8:04 Keeping faith over 9 years with Ahaan 9:03 Aditya Chopra’s faith in Ahaan during pandemic 11:10 Training Ahaan during COVID with Railway Men 14:21 Aneet Padda’s journey from Vijay 69 casting 16:08 “I have gold in my hand” 19:19 Process that got Mohit Suri to warm up to Aneet 21:22 “Back to work, back to training” advice post-success 24:32 Keeping newcomers away from media strategy 26:05 First day 20 crore opening reactions 28:45 “I wait for that same physical feeling” 33:56 Finding Vishal Jethwa for Mardaani 2 35:31 Ranveer Singh’s exit - “There’s no bad blood” 39:00 Nature of stardom has changed 44:05 “I’m perpetually looking” 47:38 Anyone ignored by team faces “calamity” 52:00 Hunger and dedication impress her most 56:16 Future homemaker dream and personal life 1:00:02 Aditya Chopra as only client 1:04:09 Never took a vacation in 18 years #InFocusTHRIndia #ShanooSharmaYRF #BollywoodCasting​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​