Mohit Suri's romantic drama Saiyaara is turning out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year.
What's Happening
- Starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, Saiyaara has now become the highest-grossing Hindi film led by debutants.
- On Saturday, Saiyaara collected Rs 24 crore at the domestic box office, slightly higher than its opening day total of Rs 21 crore.
- According to trade tracker Sacnilk, the film's two-day total stands at Rs 45 crore. Based on its current momentum, Saiyaara is expected to cross the Rs 50 crore mark on Sunday.
- In just two days, the film has surpassed the collections of several big-name releases, including Rajkummar Rao's Maalik (Rs 23.27 crore), Shahid Kapoor's Deva (Rs 33.97 crore), Kajol's Maa (Rs 38.51 crore), and John Abraham's The Diplomat (Rs 40.73 crore).
- It is also on track to overtake Anurag Basu's Metro... In Dino (Rs 48.47 crore). Additionally, Saiyaara has outperformed the re-release collections of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (Rs 22.04 crore) and Sanam Teri Kasam (Rs 35.55 crore), both of which signalled a renewed interest in romantic films among audiences. Saiyaara, too, appears to be part of this trend.
Background
The film's performance is especially notable considering its lead pair did not participate in traditional promotions ahead of release. Director Mohit Suri explained the decision, comparing it to the approach taken with his 2013 film Aashiqui 2, which also featured relatively fresh faces at the time, Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor.
"It was an idea that collectively came forward. My producer Akshaye Widhani and, of course, Aditya Chopra (owner of Yash Raj Films), who has mentored us through this thing, suggested that until the two actors don't have anything behind them to talk about, the conversation will be filled with questions like 'Who is the prankster on the set?' or 'How is it to work with Mohit Suri?' It's all redundant stuff, and I don't think anyone has any interest in listening to all that," Suri said in an interview on the YouTube channel Just Too Filmy.
While Saiyaara marks Ahaan Panday's on-screen debut, it is Aneet Padda's first feature film appearance. She previously gained attention for her performance in the Prime Video India series Big Girls Don't Cry last year.
