‘Saiyaara’ stars Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda win IMDb’s breakout star awards

Actors Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda have been named winners of IMDb’s Breakout Star STARmeter awards for their performances in the romantic drama Saiyaara.

Directed by Mohit Suri, the film follows the story of Krish Kapoor, an emotionally complex musician played by Panday, and Vasni Batra, a singer-songwriter portrayed by Padda. Their romance, challenges, and emotional journeys form the heart of the narrative.

The awards were presented based on IMDb’s Popular Indian Celebrities rankings, which measure global user engagement on the platform. Both Panday and Padda recently broke into IMDb’s top 100 — Panday at 75 and Padda at 64 — following the film’s release on July 18.

Panday described the honour as the “first of his career” and particularly meaningful because it came directly from audience appreciation. He expressed gratitude to Yash Raj Films, director Mohit Suri, and co-star Padda, calling her “the best mentor.”

Padda said sharing the award with Panday made it even more special. She credited the film’s cast and crew for their support, adding that audience-driven recognition made the win especially rewarding.

Both actors said the honour has motivated them to focus on future projects and push themselves further as performers. Saiyaara marks one of the most successful recent films from Suri’s career, following his hits such as Ek Villain, Aashiqui 2, and Kalyug.