Ahaan Panday’s debut with Saiyaara has garnered him immense appreciation and praises. Now he is set to work on his next project with Ali Abbas Zafar. Interestingly, a latest report states that he will participate in a 60-day training schedule for the movie. This also means that Ahaan will have a working birthday this year on December 23.

As per a latest report by Pinkvilla, “Ahaan will need to prep in action for over 60 days to perfect the kind of raw action that Ali wants him to do on screen. It is a pure coincidence that the date when he starts action training is his birthday! So, it’s no days off for Ahaan as he will have a working birthday this year.”

The report has also added that he will train in several action disciplines. The aim is to make Ahaan “look like a brute force of nature when he unleashes his action avatar in Ali’s film.” The director is working with Ahaan to finalise the look and give audiences something that they have not seen before. Moreover, Ali will also be guiding the actor in his prep journey. “The director wants to present his star in a jaw-dropping manner. The captain of the ship is known for presenting the biggest superstars in auras that people have loved, and he is excited to work with a young star like Ahaan now and do something insanely exciting. We have to wait for the film’s asset to know what he has in mind,” the report further mentioned.

Ali Abbas Zafar is also reportedly set to begin his recce for the movie in the United Kingdom in December. The filming will begin in February 2026. The movie will be shot in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

ALSO READ: Not Saiyaara, but THIS Short Film Was Ahaan Panday’s Debut?

Ace designer and producer Manish Malhotra has opened up about the creative process behind the costumes of Gustaakh Ishq. He revealed that Fatima Sana Shaikh’s look in the film draws heavily from legendary actress Waheeda Rehman, particularly her iconic appearances from her black-and-white era to Guide (1965). He also mentioned the legendary Nargis while opening up about references.

Speaking to Filmfare in an exclusive interview, he shared that Vibhu Puri, the film’s director, was deeply invested in shaping Naseeruddin Shah’s character, while he himself took the lead on the visual styling of the heroine and the film’s male lead, Vijay Varma.

He said, “Vibhu was very interested in Babba’s (Naseeruddin Shah) character. I had a bigger say in the heroine’s look. I also had a say in Vijay’s look. I wanted to dress Vijay up in pathaani salwar and pajama. The references were also very Waheeda Rehman and Nargis. Their grace and charm. I would say Waheeda Rehman from black-and-white to Guide. I wanted that dupatta-on-the-head aesthetic.”

Manish noted that his involvement wasn’t about designing every costume from scratch but rather curating a visual language that complemented the film’s romantic tone. “When I came into the costumes, it was more about curation. I don’t want to be the producer who does all the costumes,” he said. “I had a big take on Vijay’s costume look. I felt that he needed shawls in his look.”

The designer-producer also revealed that he had to intervene at one point to ensure the heroine’s romantic essence remained intact. “At one point, Vibhu was saturating Fatima’s look. I had to put my foot down and say no to that. It’s a romantic movie, so I had to stick to the theme. I wanted to ‘heroinise’ her a bit because it’s a romantic film.”

Gustaakh Ishq is gearing up to bring old-world charm to the screen. It also stars Naseeruddin Shah and Sharib Hashmi in leading roles. It is slated to hit the theatres on November 28, 2025.

ALSO READ: Pictures from Fatima Sana Shaikh’s first ever Filmfare photoshoot