One Friday can change everything. That’s a reminder Ahan Shetty would hear frequently from actor and his father Suniel Shetty. A week after the release of Border 2, as Ahan got on a call with us, flushed from the war drama’s success, he opened the conversation with, “Last Friday changed everything for me.”

Border 2, also starring Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh, and Varun Dhawan, is Ahan’s second feature in a five-year career. He forayed into the movies with Tadap (2021), backed by Sajid Nadiadwala. While the romantic actioner underperformed at the box office, the newcomer hit a low — not so much by the film’s fate, but the events that transpired after the release.

“Tadap made Rs 40 crore at a time when films weren’t crossing Rs 10 crore. People said that the film did horribly in terms of numbers, but we made profit. That said, the film came with expectations. After that, it was difficult. I was very low on confidence during that period. I was tied down to a contract with Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. So, I wasn’t allowed to sign any other movie for four years. A lot of offers came my way, but you can’t [breach] a contract,” he recalled. 

Good things come to those who wait. For the actor, it came in the form of producer Nidhi Dutta’s offer. “J P Dutta sir and Nidhi didi were home for dinner. Nidhi didi turned to me and said, ‘How would you like to be a part of Border 2?’ I told her that we’ll talk about it when it happens. She laughed and said, ‘Ahan, it’s happening now.’ For a couple of days, I was skeptical, because I couldn’t believe they wanted me, a newcomer, to be a part of such a big film. I had not been able to do anything for four years and was fighting certain battles in my own head. So, being a part of the film means a lot to me.”