Some stories are written. Others, somehow, write themselves. And then there's Saiyaara, a Mohit Suri film that scripted a moment so full of yearning, it was meant to be just that: cinematic. Until life decided to pick up the pen.
In a surreal reel-to-real twist, the title track of Saiyaara, the very song Ahaan Panday's character Krish hopes will find the love he lost, has done exactly that.
Only this time, not just within the film's universe. The song has now reached everywhere, just as Krish dreamed, and became the first-ever Bollywood song to enter Spotify's Top 50 Global chart, currently holding the No. 1 spot.
"Make The Song So Big, Nobody Can Miss It"
To understand just how uncanny this is, we need to go back to the film's most heartbreaking scene.
In Saiyaara, Krish (played by Ahaan Panday) walks away from a rising music career to look after Vaani (Aneet Padda), the love of his life, after she is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's.
On a quiet vacation meant to help her cope, things take a turn: Vaani begins to forget him, confusing Krish with her ex, Mahesh Iyer.
In a deeply moving moment, Krish hides his heartbreak and narrates their own story to her as if it belonged to someone else.
He tells her about a "friend" whose girlfriend is forgetting him. In response, Vaani suggests that the friend should create a song, something so powerful and unforgettable that it finds her wherever she is.
"Make a song so she never forgets him. Every time she hears it, she should remember he exists," she said. Vaani herself begins writing that song and titles it Saiyaara.
But as her condition worsens, Vaani realises she has hurt Krish. She quietly disappears from his life to protect him. For six months, Krish searches. Then, in a spark of memory, he remembers Saiyaara, the song she wrote, and her words. In desperation, he rushes to his music producer friend and pleads, "Promote it. Make it reach every household. Every radio. Every phone. Every corner. Everywhere. So that if she's out there, she hears it."
Cut to 2025 - it's happening.
A Historic Spotify Milestone
The title track, Saiyaara, composed by Tanishk Bagchi along with Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami, has become the first Bollywood song to break into Spotify's Global Top 50.
Sung by indie artist Faheem Abdullah and written by Irshad Kamil, the track has become a Gen Z romance anthem and a global phenomenon.
As of now, Saiyaara is sitting pretty at No. 1, beating international heavyweights like Blackpink's Jump, Lady Gaga's Die With A Smile, Billie Eilish's Birds Of A Feather, and Alex Warren's Eternity.
Saiyaara's Box Office Success
While Saiyaara the song charts new territory on streaming platforms, Saiyaara the film is breaking records of its own. A Yash Raj Films production helmed by Mohit Suri, the romantic drama starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda has opened to massive box office numbers.
According to reports, the film earned Rs 21 crore on its opening day and crossed Rs 100 crore within the first four days. As of now, the film has earned Rs 247.25 crore domestically. Much of its success is credited to its chart-topping music, which has now completely taken over Spotify India's Top 10 as well.
Apart from the main track, the film's album features: Dhun by Mithoon and Arijit Singh, Barbaad (Reprise) by Jubin Nautiyal and Shilpa Rao, Tum Ho Toh by Vishal Mishra, Humsafar by Sachet-Parampara and Saiyaara (Reprise) by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal
A Manifestation That Left The Screen
There are chart successes, and then there are cultural moments. What Saiyaara is experiencing right now feels like the latter.
In a country where film music has always had the power to shape emotion and memory, Saiyaara is doing something bigger. It's taking the wish of a boy who just wanted to be remembered, and letting the world hear it loud and clear.
And somewhere out there, if Vaani was real, she'd probably be hearing it too.
