A love story that proved to be a Midas Touch at the box office; a love story that gave birth to two stars; a story that reinforced the idea that love stories are not passé in the Hindi film industry; a story that portrayed a vulnerable man in an era dominated by toxic masculinity.
Mohit Suri's Saiyaara is synonymous with the year 2025. When big Hindi films with major stars failed to make a mark, a film with two fresh faces scripted a new history. A film, which probably no one expected to be this big, arrived at a time when the Hindi film industry had almost forgotten how to weave timeless love stories — stories that don't require any particular season.
A Love Story Everybody Was Desperately Looking For
With the advent of OTT platforms, the Hindi film industry has scaled down its productions in terms of budget. Nothing may be official, but the pattern is hard to ignore. Love stories have been around the corner in Bollywood, but mostly crafted for OTT releases.
Just before Saiyaara, Anurag Basu's Metro In Dino hit theatres. This multi-starrer, with a dose of nostalgia, was an in-and-out love story that won audiences' hearts but not the box office. Led by Vikrant Massey and star kid Shanaya Kapoor, Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan was a big miss, while R Madhavan-Fatima Sana Shaikh's Aap Jaisa Koi delighted OTT viewers.
So, what difference did Saiyaara make? A love story with two debutants released in theatres with minimal expectations — and it became a massive success. The preceding year, 2024, was marked by event films like horror comedies. With spy thrillers and historical-political sagas ruling the Hindi screen for a while, no one thought a love story could alter the fate of the box office.
A Vision And Its Successful Execution
What worked for Saiyaara — among countless reasons — was the vision of Yash Raj Films' head Aditya Chopra, who chose not to promote Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda before the film's release. The audience saw them as a couple for the first time on screen, loved them, adored them, and wanted to know more about them.
A risk few producers would take nowadays. Ahaan Panday made his big debut in Saiyaara after being mentored by Aditya Chopra for years. Aneet had appeared in a few films before. Yet their spectacular chemistry grabbed eyeballs across age groups. They hardly looked like newcomers on screen. They owned the screen as if they ruled 2025.
A Gen-Z Love Story Or A Millennial One?
With Saiyaara's bumper success, a question dominated the Internet's mind: "Is it a Gen-Z love story or a millennial one?" The charm of love stories lies in the fact every generation thinks it's theirs.
For a millennial, it's a millennial love story; for Gen Z, it's a Gen Z love story. But with all its nuances, Saiyaara carries the timeless quality of going the extra mile for love, letting go of ego for the beloved.
The story revolves around Aneet Padda, who suffers from Alzheimer's at just 21. A young heart fights fading memory as reality stifles her love.
Originally conceived as a spiritual sequel to Suri's 2012 love story, Aashiqui 2, Saiyaara flips traditional hero-heroine dynamics. Here, the man doesn't need rescuing. Instead, he anchors his love as she battles a rare disease. Passion runs high, emotions higher, yet Saiyaara works because it moves audiences to tears.
Who Are Ahaan Panday And Aneet Padda?
Ahaan Panday is the son of businessman Chikki Panday and fitness coach and author Deanne Panday. Chikki Panday is actor Chunky Panday's brother, making Ahaan and actress Ananya Panday cousins. His sister, Alanna Panday, is a social media influencer.
Ahaan studied at Oberoi International School in Mumbai, later pursuing Fine Arts, Cinematic Arts, Film, and Television Production at the University of Mumbai, according to The Economic Times.
Before acting, he worked as assistant director on films like Freaky Ali, Rock On 2, The Railway Men, and Mardaani 2. Beyond acting, Ahaan is passionate about all creative arts, including music composition, directing, dancing, fashion, and esports.
Aneet Padda was born in October 2002 to a middle-class working family in Amritsar. She started modelling in advertisements during her teenage years, as reported by Hindustan Times. She continued modelling while pursuing a Bachelor's degree at Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi.
Aneet had a small role in the 2022 film Salaam Venky and gained wider recognition for her role as Roohi Ahuja in the 2024 web series Big Girls Don't Cry.
An avid singer, she released her first song, Masoom, in 2024. The same year, she appeared on the TV show Yuva: Sapno Ka Safar, credited as Aneet Kaur.
Mohit Suri revealed Ahaan was once a cringe TikToker who was made to delete his videos before Saiyaara. Aneet was chosen because Mohit Suri was looking for a girl who hadn't undergone any facial surgery.
Unprecedented Box Office Records
Saiyaara emerged as the highest-grossing romantic film of all time, and the highest-grossing romantic film led by debutants.
Opening day collections stood at Rs 25 crore, surpassing the record set by Dhadak (Rs 8.76 crore) in 2018.
It also recorded the highest opening day for a romantic film in recent years, ahead of titles like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Rs 11.1 crore), Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (Rs 6.7 crore), Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar (Rs 15.73 crore), and Kabir Singh (Rs 20.21 crore).
Director Mohit Suri, known for hits like Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain, delivered his career-best opening with Saiyaara. The film's Rs 21 crore nett opening beats Ek Villain (Rs 16.70 crore), Murder 2 (Rs 6.95 crore), and Aashiqui 2 (Rs 6.10 crore).
What makes this success even more remarkable is that it achieved this with just 8,000 screenings across India, less than half the usual 18,000 shows required for such collections. Several theatres reported sold-out shows in major cities despite limited screenings.
Globally, the film grossed Rs 579.23 crore, made on a moderate budget of Rs 45 crore.
Conclusion
The problematic love story of Saiyaara raised eyebrows, sparked debates, and inspired memes on social media. But at a time when very few Hindi films make a significant impact, Saiyaara emerged not only as a winning story but also as a rare achievement for two performers loved for their craft, and not PR machinery.
