What makes a love story a great love story?
Some may say it's the cliches, grand romantic gestures, or, heartbreaks. But not all heartbreaks have to be sad; some can be beautiful, and that's when a filmmaker like Mohit Suri brings in a fresh perspective.
Mohit Suri's latest romantic musical, Saiyaara, led by newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, has scripted history with a blockbuster opening, and continues its dream run at the box office.
This pop-culture moment is the result of a love story told well, something that came as a breath of fresh air for an audience starving for a good romance with music that endures more than just 15 seconds of a reel.
What also came with praise were the comparison of Saiyaara with another Mohit Suri movie - Aashiqui 2.
Tug Of War: Aashiqui 2 Vs Saiyaara
Comparisons between Mohit Suri's 2013 romantic drama Aashiqui 2 and his latest blockbuster Saiyaara were bound to happen.
At the crux of it all, both are intense love stories. While one was laden with dreamy romance that eventually leads to self-destruction (Aashiqui 2), the other is a modern-day love story that reduces you to a pool of 'happy tears' (Saiyaara).
That's why Saiyaara is nothing like Aashiqui 2.
Dissimilarities Between Saiyaara And Aashiqui 2
- A Happy Ending
One of the major reasons why Aashiqui 2 fans were crushed with the ending is that it's not a happy one. And everyone loves to love a happy ending in a romantic film.
In Aashiqui 2, rockstar Rahul Jaykar's (Aditya Roy Kapur) eternal battle with alcoholism leads him to commit suicide. When he gets to know that rising star Aarohi (Shraddha Kapoor) is willing to sacrifice her flourishing career out of her love for him, Rahul believes he's a hurdle in her life and career. He dies by suicide, leaving Aarohi devastated. However, Aarohi fulfils his wish as she becomes a successful singer, and signs off as Aarohi Rahul Jaykar.
A scene from Aashiqui 2
When it comes to Saiyaara, when writer Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda) disappears from singer-rockstar Krish Kapoor's (Ahaan Panday) life, to let him fly high in his career, they eventually end up together.
Vaani, who is diagnosed with early-onset of Alzheimer's disease, slowly starts to forget Krish and confuses him with Mahesh (Shaan Grover), her ex-boyfriend who broke her heart.
She writes one final song for him when the disease isn't weighing heavy on her, only to disappear later, so that she doesn't come between Krish and his dream. But one day, a viral video featuring a song she wrote for him, leads him back to her. By constantly rewinding to their moments from the past, Vaani remembers him again, and with the promise of holding on to each other through thick and thin. No one dies. Vaani and Krish eventually marry.
A scene from Saiyaara
- Hero Is Not Self-Destructive
A scene from Saiyaara
Unlike in Aashiqui 2, where Aarohi finds herself at the crossroads of having to compromise at every step, because that's what all-consuming love demands. Rahul seemingly takes the easy way out when he decides to take his own life.
In the modern age of right swipes and Instagram likes, equal partnership in a committed relationship, such as Krish and Vaani's, gets a thundering applause from the young crowd.
Because what they find is hope.
- Rank Newcomers (Well... Almost)
The only legit newcomer in Saiyaara is Ahaan Panday, who is the cousin of actor Ananya Panday and nephew of Chunky Panday.
Aneet Padda has had some supporting roles in projects such as Salaam Venky in 2023 and then Big Girls Don't Cry last year. What Saiyaara did for her in turn her into a breakthrough star. As for Ahaan Panday, from being touted as "Ranbir Kapoor 2.0" to his debut being compared to Hrithik Roshan's in Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai in 2000, he is on everyone's radar for all the right reasons.
On the contrary, this is one of the biggest factors that sets Saiyaara apart from Aashiqui 2, which released in 2013. Neither Aditya Roy Kapur nor Shraddha Kapoor were rank newcomers in the film. Yes, they were fresh faces who shot to fame overnight after the film's success. While Aditya Roy Kapur debuted with the 2009 film London Dreams, Shraddha Kapoor came to the movies with the 2010 film Teen Patti.
- Brings Attention To A Disease; However, Make-Believe
Saiyaara sheds light on a disease like early on-set Alzheimer's, which the female lead Vaani Batra suffers from. While there has been a debate about how it has been a bit too stretched for cinematic narrative, it still draws our attention to the disease. It makes us ponder over the symptoms.
Vaani's condition plays a very crucial role in the changing dynamics of her relationship with Krish, too.
In conversation with NDTV, some experts said that it is unlikely for the disease to hit that early on, but it is not entirely impossible.
"It is called early-onset Alzheimer's dementia, which is defined as dementia occurring at the age of less than 65 years. If it is happening to someone in their 20s, it is very rare and it is usually due to genetic causes, mainly due to mutations in genes like APP TSEN," neurologist Dr Kaustubh Mahajan at PD Hinduja Hospital & MRC, Khar, Mumbai told NDTV.
Dr Singla had an opposite view on the same, as she said, "They have to exaggerate because it's a movie, but nothing of this sort happens in real life. Someone who has underlying dementia or someone who goes into depression, that's when symptoms exacerbate very fast. And, Alzheimer's, which is one of the causes of dementia, is not triggered by shock. Dementia, however, is."
While there are conflicting reactions to how the disease has been represented in the film, one can't help but be curious about this disease.
There Are, However, Some Very Basic Similarities Between Saiyaara and Aashiqui 2
- Killer Song Album
A resonating music album is a given for a quintessential Mohit Suri movie.
Aashiqui 2's title track Tum Hi Ho by Arijit Singh, became the love anthem of its time. Not only did it propel Arijit Singh to unimaginable stardom, but Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor's chemistry added to the lingering feeling of love that the song entailed.
While other tracks such as Sunn Raha Hai, Chahun Main Ya Naa, Hum Mar Jayenge, and Meri Aashiqui were all soulful tunes that perfectly captured the essence of falling in love despite adversities, Tum Hi Ho still enjoys a whole different level of fandom.
Cut to 12 years later, Saiyaara's title track scored the No 7 spot on Spotify's Top 50 Global List, a first for a Bollywood song.
From Humsafar, Barbaad to Dhun and Tum Ho Toh, there's a song in Saiyaara for every stage of love you are in.
- Supporting Role By "The Jacket"
Aditya Roy Kapur's brown leather jacket in Aashiqui 2 was more than a style statement. It became a symbol of Rahul's (Aditya Roy Kapur) and Aarohi's (Shraddha Kapoor) love and connection, borrowing from the original Aashiqui starring Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal.
Aashiqui Poster
One of the most iconic scenes in Aashiqui 2 was the rain sequence when the title track starts playing, where Rahul shares his jacket with Aarohi. Such was the cultural impact of the jacket that fans recreated that scene time and again. The symbolic impact was unprecedented.
The jacket returns in Saiyaara, however, this time as a symbol of simmering intensity between the two lead characters Krish (Ahaan Panday) and Vaani (Aneet Padda). In a key scene when Vaani gets on Krish's bike, he wraps the jacket around the two of them and ties a knot, once again adding to the narrative as a sign of his growing protectiveness and care towards Vaani.
- Dialogues That Stay With The Hopeless Romantic In You
In Aashiqui 2, at several instances, the one dialogue that Aditya Roy Kapur's character keeps reiterating is, "Suno..."
To which Aarohi always responds, "Kya?"
And all he says is, "Kuch nahin...bas yuhi."
The dialogue reflects the silence that somehow speaks louder than words.
With Saiyaara, Mohit Suri keeps it simple (also repetitive).
All Krish and Vaani have to say to each other is, "I love you forever and ever and ever."
They also say, "Kuch pal abhi baaqi hain mere paas." No matter how feverish, this phrase also works in the moment.
What takes the cake, is undoubtedly the stellar frames in both Mohit Suri films. Just like Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor fans remember their iconic rain sequence in Aashiqui 2 till date, Saiyaara too had its viral moment.
The most loved scene in the film is when Krish finds Vaani from a viral video shot in Manali, which eventually leads him to her in an ashram. The zoomed-in frame of Vaani's captivating eyes full of tears on a massive LED screen in London's Wembley Stadium brings Krish down to his knees.
A scene from Saiyaara
It's a beautiful piece of massy cinema.
It's a mixed bag of same-same but different when it comes to Mohit Suri's Aashiqui 2 and Saiyaara. But at the end of the day, what binds them together in the larger picture - they both are love stories that deserve just love, forever and ever.
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