At the NDTV Yuva Conclave session titled "Dil, Will Aur Thoda Sa Twist", filmmaker Mohit Suri spoke about love, heartbreak and his latest film Saiyaara's unprecedented success.
Mohit Suri On Saiyaara Being Called DDLJ 2
Mohit Suri said that he was in the 8th or 9th grade when Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge was released.
He said, "I had no connection with Aditya Chopra, and I remember when the film released, people used to talk a lot about the actors and the music, but I was interested in the person who made this film. Almost 30 years later, I was making a film for him, and that too a love story-it means a lot."
Mohit Suri On Picking Old School Love Stories For Films
The filmmaker also shared how he is still sticking to old-school love stories as the storylines for his films. He said, "Our parents used to say this to us, 'You guys don't know how to love. Love in our time was true love; you people don't know how to love at all.'"
He added, "This generation connects through technology like social media, but I feel when your heart breaks, you feel a similar kind of pain that everyone feels. So, I think the feelings are the same. The way of expressing it has changed. It's about time we change the narrative that this generation doesn't have empathy and emotion. Maybe they don't show it like us, but they do have emotions."
On dealing with heartbreaks, he said, "I don't know how to deal with breakups to this day; that's why I keep making films and keep giving happy endings."
Mohit Suri On His Bond With Emraan Hashmi
Mohit spoke about his bond with cousin Emraan Hashmi and said, "Emraan is not only my brother but also my first actor (in Zeher). I discovered my art through Emraan. We started our journey together. I became a director, he became an actor. I can't go to him with any story. When I have a script that is up to his standard, I'll take it to him."
Mohit Suri On Working With Ahaan And Aneet
When asked about his experience of working with Gen-Z stars Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, Mohit Suri said, "They are very liberating. With a newcomer, yes, there's responsibility-you have to hold their hand and help them learn-but at least you get that freedom and liberation to make the film you want without any hesitation. I've enjoyed working with the newcomers so much that on the last day of the shoot, I told my producers, 'Thank you so much for letting me make a film with these newcomers because it was a liberating experience.'"
About Saiyaara
Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri and produced by Yash Raj Films, stars debutants Ahaan Panday as Krish Kapoor, a passionate but troubled musician, and Aneet Padda as Vaani Batra, a writer diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
The story follows Krish and Vaani, who meet and bond over her poetry and his music. Their collaboration grows into a deep emotional connection and love. However, their relationship faces a heartbreaking challenge when Vaani begins losing her memory due to her illness. The film explores themes of love, loss, memory, and healing as Krish chooses to stand by Vaani despite the difficulties.
Set against the backdrop of Krish's struggles with his own troubled family and career, the film shows how the couple supports each other through personal hardships.
The film explores themes of love, loss, memory, and healing as Krish chooses to stand by Vaani despite the difficulties.
About Mohit Suri
Mohit Suri began his career as an assistant director in the early 2000s, working on films like Kasoor (2001) and Awara Paagal Deewana (2002).
He made his directorial debut with the film Zeher in 2005, which was moderately successful. He gained fame with films like Kalyug (2005), Woh Lamhe (2006), and Awarapan (2007).
He achieved major commercial success with thrillers and romantic films such as Murder 2 (2011), Aashiqui 2 (2013), Ek Villain (2014), and Malang (2020).
Suri's latest film, Saiyaara, became the highest-grossing film of his career.
Aside from directing, he has also worked as a producer and served as a judge on the dance reality show Nach Baliye 8. Mohit is married to former actress Udita Goswami, and they have two children.
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