Get behind the scenes with our January–February cover star, moments unfold with quiet focus and steady commitment. No rush, just presence- shaping the story naturally, on his own terms.
Music: Rodeo & My Haveli Is Your Haveli by @lapganlapgan
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Panday always wanted to “do it all.” His first love wasn’t acting – it was writing. By the third grade, he’d written an entire book and discovered the magic of storytelling. Reading his work aloud in class, he chased “that first laugh or that first chuckle from the audience which validated me,” he says – marking the moment when everything inside him truly shifted.
Ahaan is wearing a mesh vest, legacy-printed shirt, denim jacket, denim skate jeans, ‘LV Instinct’ ring, and ‘Damier’ ring, all Louis Vuitton (@louisvuitton)
Photographer: Keegan Joseph Crasto/ Public Butter
Make-up: Stephen Jadhav
Hair: Team Hakim Aalim
Styling Assistant: Vedica Vora
#GraziaIndia #JanuaryCover #2026 #2026Cover #AhaanPanday
Before stepping into the spotlight, Ahaan learned the craft behind the scenes – assisting on films like Rock On 2, Freaky Ali, and The Railway Men, soaking in every detail and studying actors like Kay Kay Menon with breathtaking precision
So, when Saiyaara came his way, Panday didn’t see it as a launchpad. He saw it as a responsibility. From the very first read, he knew his character needed softness, especially in today’s film scene, which is dominated by loud masculinity. “I had a diary where I wrote extensively about Krish and how I wanted him to be, things about him and what he was feeling before scenes. There was this one thing written in bold letters on top of it: The softness and masculinity for Krish.”
Ahaan is wearing a ‘LV x The Darjeeling Limited’ embroidered sweater, folded mohair trousers, ‘LV Instinct’ ring, ‘LV x The Darjeeling Limited’ canvas bag, and ‘Minister’ derby shoes, all Louis Vuitton (@louisvuitton)
Photographer: Keegan Joseph Crasto/ Public Butter
Make-up: Stephen Jadhav
Hair: Team Hakim Aalim
Styling Assistant: Vedica Vora
#GraziaIndia #JanuaryCover #2026 #2026Cover #AhaanPanday
Despite growing up around cinema, acting wasn’t handed to Panday. The love for performance was born not out of proximity, but discovery. “At sixteen, I tried DJing and then music production followed. I had a group called Bass Trap and we released tracks under it. Then came video game design. Later, I started assisting on film sets since that passion for storytelling was always hidden beneath everything else. I observed everything quietly at sets. Post that, I also gave my first film audition and that’s where I got a taste of theatre and what performing in front of a proper crowd felt like. It’s here I decided to stick to this one thing.”
Ahaan is wearing a striped polo T-shirt, cargo trousers, ‘Speedy P9 Bandoulière 20’ bag, and ‘Tundra’ loafers, all Louis Vuitton (@louisvuitton)
Photographer: Keegan Joseph Crasto/ Public Butter
Make-up: Stephen Jadhav
Hair: Team Hakim Aalim
Styling Assistant: Vedica Vora
#GraziaIndia #JanuaryCover #2026 #2026Cover #AhaanPanday
With his social media limited to promotions and milestones, Ahaan Panday knows people don’t quite know him yet, and he’s okay with that. “I’m a man of taste,” he says quietly, referring to his love for art, music, records, and the small rituals that ground him. As he prepares for his next action-romance with Ali Abbas Zafar, his focus remains unchanged. “I just want to work. I don’t want to be a non-working actor,” he says, driven less by noise and more by the simple act of showing up.
Ahaan is wearing a striped overshirt and jacquard sweater, both Louis Vuitton (@louisvuitton)
Photographer: Keegan Joseph Crasto/ Public Butter
Make-up: Stephen Jadhav
Hair: Team Hakim Aalim
Styling Assistant: Vedica Vora
#GraziaIndia #JanuaryCover #2026 #2026Cover #AhaanPanday
When his breakthrough came, Panday never got the time to sit with it. “I still haven’t,” he admits. It only truly registers when people meet him and share, face to face, how the film moved them. “I think it’s better to not know. I just want to move on to the next one.”
With no fixed idea of what his career should look like, he’s guided purely by love for the craft. “Your passion always comes from a place of love. I just want to be a part of films. I love acting and I want to do it till I can do it.” Grateful for those who believed in him early on, he adds that he was “ready to do anything” even when things were happening – and then not happening.
Ahaan is wearing a formal button-down shirt, striped jacquard cardigan, lateral split trousers, ‘Red Carpet’ tie, and ‘LV’ loafers, all Louis Vuitton (@louisvuitton)
Photographer: Keegan Joseph Crasto/ Public Butter
Make-up: Stephen Jadhav
Hair: Team Hakim Aalim
Styling Assistant: Vedica Vora
#GraziaIndia #JanuaryCover #2026 #2026Cover #AhaanPanday
We’re kicking off 2026 with a name who is truly defining the moment. Shaped by quiet self-belief and steady growth, Ahaan Panday, our January–February Gen Z cover star, opens up about trusting his own pace, embracing rejection, and how every chapter so far has helped shape who he is today.
Ahaan is wearing a mesh vest, legacy-printed shirt, denim jacket, denim skate jeans, ‘LV Instinct’ and ‘Damier’ rings, plus ‘LV Jazz’ loafers, all Louis Vuitton (@louisvuitton). The collection is inspired by modern Indian style and the dandyism at the heart of Studio Homme.
Photographer: @keegancrasto @publicbutterindia
Make-up: @st.ephen2374
Hair: Team @aalimhakim
Styling Assistant: @vedicavora
#GraziaIndia #JanuaryCover #2026 #2026Cover #AhaanPanday