Ahaan Panday Starrer Locks Release Date; Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar

After the sweeping success of 2025’s romantic hit Saiyaara, Yash Raj Films has confirmed that debutant Ahaan Panday will headline another big‑budget project under the direction of Ali Abbas Zafar. The film, still untitled, will feature Panday opposite Sharvari and will be released on Friday, March 26, 2027 – the same Good Friday that saw the premiere of Zafar’s previous collaborations with the studio.

Aditya Chopra, the producer behind the Yash Raj banner, has already set the release date, marking the fifth time he has worked with Zafar after Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Gunday, Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai. Except for Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, each of those films has been a box‑office hit, giving Chopra confidence that the new venture will follow suit.

Behind the scenes, the film’s production has been a whirlwind. Several glimpses from the UK shoot have floated online, sparking buzz among fans. In February 2025, Zafar praised Panday’s screen presence, noting that the actor “doesn’t perform emotions, he feels them,” and that the camera captures that authenticity. The director added that Panday’s emotional instincts are a rare quality that “the camera has a way of catching the truth.”

The cast also includes Aaishvary Thackeray as the primary antagonist, a role he earned after a standout performance in Anurag Kashyap’s Nishaanchi. In November 2025, the Hindustan Times reported that the makers had chosen Thackeray for the part, and a trade source predicted a “big‑screen spectacle” with a “lavishly mounted film” that balances romance with high‑octane action.

Sharvari, who made her Yash Raj debut in Bunty Aur Babli 2 (2021), brings a mix of experience and recent work to the project. Though her first outing under the Yash Raj banner underperformed, she has since appeared in Munjya, Vedaa, Maharaj, Main Vaapas Aaunga and the recent Alpha, which earned mixed reviews and grossed ₹98.44 crore worldwide, including ₹58 crore domestically.

Both Panday and Thackeray are set to collaborate for the second time; Panday’s debut hit Saiyaara was a record‑setting romantic film, while Thackeray’s acclaim came from a critically lauded performance in Nishaanchi. Fans are also looking forward to another Yash Raj project featuring Panday, his Saiyaara director Mohit Suri and co‑star Aneet Padda, hoping the trio can recreate the magic of their earlier success.