He calls me Makkhan: Saiyaara star Aneet Padda reveals her grandfather is suffering from Alzheimer's

Padda, who had previously worked on OTT series, portrayed the character of a young woman in the movie who was struggling with the onset of Alzheimer's disease, leaving her struggling in life and even forgetting to recognise her onscreen boyfriend, played by Panday in the film.

The romantic tale drew a large number of young audience in the cinema hall with viral videos showing frenzied fans crying in the theatre while watching the movie.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, Padda said: "My dadu (grandfather) has Alzheimer’s disease, which is why the film was even more emotional for me."

"He’s at a point now where he doesn’t remember most things, but I believed in this film because it says ‘dimaag bhool jaata hai par dil kabhi nahi bhoolta (the mind forgets but the heart does not)’, and that’s very true for my dadu," she said.

"He doesn’t remember my name; he doesn’t remember most, but he calls me Heeraput, or Makkhan," Padda said.

Minting Rs. 563 crore, the Mohit Suri-directed film has emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the year.

Saiyaara marked Padda's debut as a lead star, though she was previously seen in Kajol-starrer Salaam Venky in 2022.