Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jan 13: Actor Suniel Shetty turned emotional and broke down in tears as he spoke about the difficult phase his son Ahan Shetty went through after his debut film Tadap failed to make an impact at the box office, challenging the perception that star kids have an easy journey in the film industry.

Suniel, who attended the launch of the song Jaate Hue Lamhon from Border 2 along with Ahan and the film’s team on Monday, became visibly emotional while addressing the gathering. Reflecting on Ahan being part of a major project like Border 2, Suniel said it was not just another film but a huge responsibility.

“It is his second film and getting such a big project itself is a big thing. It’s a very responsible film. While Ahan was shooting, I told him, ‘Ahan, it is not just a uniform. Remember this’,” Suniel said, choking with emotion.

Recalling the period after Tadap, Suniel said Ahan went through immense turmoil following the film’s failure. “There was a small break after his first film. People always think that since he is Suniel Shetty’s son, he must be getting a lot of work. But there is a lot Ahan went through in life,” he said, adding that he was grateful his son got Border 2 as his second project. “He couldn’t have got a better film than this. I only pray that he has done justice to his role and that the film works for all of us,” Suniel added.

Ahan Shetty made his Bollywood debut in 2021 with Tadap, directed by Milan Luthria and co-starring Tara Sutaria. The film, a remake of the Telugu hit RX 100, failed to impress at the box office.

Addressing reports last year that claimed he lost projects due to high entourage costs, Ahan clarified that the allegations were untrue. “There were articles saying my entourage cost was high and that’s why some films didn’t happen. None of that was true. I knew it, people close to me knew it, and even the producers knew it,” he said, adding that one needs to be thick-skinned in the industry. “These things affect you, but you learn from them and move on,” Ahan noted.

Ahan Shetty will next be seen in Border 2, the sequel to JP Dutta’s 1997 war classic. Directed by Anurag Singh, the film stars Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh in key roles, along with Mona Singh, Sonam Bajwa, Anya Singh and Medha Rana. Based on the 1971 India–Pakistan war and real-life events, Border 2 is slated for release on January 23.