He won the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi in 2006 and then followed with several hit films like Gangster, Woh Lamhe, Life in a Metro, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Welcome Back.

His mother is from Shimla, with her family originally from Sargoda, and his father Suraj Ahuja's ancestry is from Sahiwal, both in modern day Pakistan.

[citation needed][8] Thereafter, Ahuja played the lead role in Mahesh Bhatt's Gangster, a popular commercial movie genre and Woh Lamhe opposite Kangana Ranaut.

Two of his films, Ek Accident with co-star Soha Ali Khan and Har Pal with Preity Zinta are yet to be released.

[9] In 2015, Ahuja was cast in Anees Bazmee's Welcome Back co-starring John Abraham, Shruti Hassan, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia and Paresh Rawal.

However, the judge believed that the maid falsely testified under pressure and, in 2011, Ahuja was sentenced to seven years of prison.