"I overheard him saying it to some people" - Director reveals how Virat Kohli inspired Ahaan Panday's Saiyaara character

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Bollywood director Mohit Suri recently opened up on paying a tribute to former India captain Virat Kohli in his recently released film, 'Saiyaara'. He revealed that the ace batter's conversation at a nightclub inspired the movie's protagonist, 'Kirsh Kapoor', played by debutant actor Ahaan Panday.

Suri stated that he saw Kohli at a nightclub during the early stages of his cricketing career. He recalled the batter's remarkable confidence, overhearing him declare that he was going to be the biggest cricketer.

The veteran filmmaker's revelation came during an interview on The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra. Speaking about how Kohli inspired Panday's character in Saiyaara, Suri said (via Hindustan Times):

"I remember seeing Virat Kohli once when he was like a newcomer in a nightclub, I think. And I remember him once saying, 'You see, I'm going to be the biggest cricketer', overheard him saying it to some people. And he was a newcomer that time.

"He's younger than me, so I've seen that and he's had his ups, and the glorious career that he's had. But he's had his downs also. And then he comes back after over a thousand days and scores a century again."

It is worth mentioning that Kohli's reference features multiple times in Saiyaara. The film starring Panday and Aneet Padda released on July 18, and has since been ruling the roost at the Indian box office.

According to boxofficeindia.com, the film has earned close to ₹280 crore net in the first two weeks, making it one of the biggest blockbusters of the year in India.

During the same interview, Mohit Suri hailed Virat Kohli as a legend and stated that he was a big fan of the star batter. He expressed his admiration for the 36-year-old and further elaborated on how he used the cricketer's analogy during the making of Saiyaara.

Suri added in the same interview:

"He truly is a legend and you'll have people who make scores and break records but if you want to be remembered forever, you have to live the life that Virat lived. That was the best example to give. He's done it his way. He's given to cricket.

"So I just wanted this analogy to make music, not by just making a hit, not just scoring a century, but by giving something back to music like how Virat has. So, all power to him man. I'm a Virat Kohli fan."

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli was last seen in action during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). He was the highest run-scorer for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their first-ever title-winning campaign. He amassed 657 runs across 15 innings at an average of 54.75.

Kohli is not part of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The seasoned campaigner announced his retirement from Test cricket in May 2025. Earlier, he drew curtains on his T20I career following India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. He will continue representing the Men in Blue in ODIs.