Meet Ahaan Panday's father Chikki Panday, businessman who got Shah Rukh Khan out of jail, played peacemaker in SRK-Salman Khan fight

Ahaan Panday has taken the industry by storm with his debut in Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri. His performance has made him an instant star, and fans are curious to know more about him.

While his co-star Aneet Padda is completely new to the film world, coming from a non-filmy background, Ahaan has grown up around Bollywood. Raised in Mumbai, he has been close to actors all his life, thanks to his family's deep connections in the industry.

Meet His Father: Chikki Panday

Ahaan’s father, Aloke 'Chikki' Panday, is a businessman born in Bombay in 1966. He comes from a family with an impressive background; his father, Sharad Panday, was a well-known surgeon, and his brother is actor Chunky Panday.

Unlike Chunky, Chikki chose the business path. Over the years, he’s held several official roles, including being part of the Steel Consumers Council under the Ministry of Steel and a member of the Telephone Advisory Committees linked to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Social Work and Close Bollywood Bonds

Chikki also started the Akshara Foundation of Arts & Learning, a non-profit aimed at helping underprivileged children with education. His circle of friends includes some of the biggest names in Bollywood. He has long been close to actor-filmmaker Sohail Khan and the Khan family.

In fact, pre-wedding events for his daughter Alanna Panday were hosted at Sohail’s residence.

His wife, Deanne Panday, a former model and now a lifestyle coach, works with big names like Salman Khan, Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta, and Preity Zinta. Salman has often supported her books and business ventures.

Strong Ties With Shah Rukh Khan

Chikki has been a friend to Shah Rukh Khan since his early acting days. Back in 1994, when Shah Rukh was arrested for allegedly threatening a journalist over a defaming article, Chikki and Nana Patekar were the ones who bailed him out. Over time, the friendship between the two families deepened. Ahaan Panday and Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh’s son, are known to be close friends.

Behind the Scenes Peacemaker

Chikki has even played a key role in mending relationships in Bollywood. After the infamous fallout between Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in 2008, it was Chikki who helped break the ice. He arranged for them to sit next to each other at politician Baba Siddiqui’s iftaar party in 2013. The gesture led to the two stars talking again and eventually settling their differences.

Despite being well-connected and involved behind the scenes, Chikki prefers to stay out of the spotlight and maintains a low social media presence.