How Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda's Saiyaara became one of biggest Bollywood films of the year

Mohit Suri's romantic love story has struck a chord with Gen Z audiences

Ahaan Panday, left, and Aneet Padda in Saiyaara. Photo: Yash Raj Films

A Bollywood love story with a moderate budget and two fresh faces is taking the Indian box office by storm, becoming one of the year’s top-grossing films in just two weeks.

Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri, features debutant Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda in the lead. The film, which was released on July 18, was made on a budget of approximately 60 crore (600 million) rupees, according to Financial Express. It has already collected more than 327 crore (3.2 billion) rupees at the box office, making it the second-highest grossing Indian film of the year, behind the blockbuster Chhaava, which was released in February.

What is Saiyaara about?

Saiyaara centres around an emotionally-unstable rising musician Krish (Panday) who forms a deep connection with a shy Vaani, an aspiring writer, played by Padda. It is loosely based on the 2004 South Korean film A Moment to Remember, about a couple whose relationship is tested after marriage.

Director Suri is known his emotionally-charged romantic films, from Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain.

What are critics and audiences saying about the film?

Saiyaara has received generally positive reviews from film critics, many praising Panday and Padda's performances.

The film seems to have struck a chord with Gen Z audiences with many of them sharing clips of themselves on social media crying and cheering in the cinema. One viral clip showed a fan watching the film with an IV drip hooked to his hand.

Film trade analyst Komal Nahta even called Saiyaara a “modern-day DDLJ”, comparing it to the 1995 love story, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, a massive box office success considered one of the greatest romantic Bollywood films.

“Some may find what I’m going to say here outrageous,” Nahta posted on X the week of Saiyaara's release. “But I’ve always spoken business, and so here I am: Looking to the fact that today’s collections would surpass Friday’s record-smashing collections and today’s footfalls will be more than Saturday’s, I feel inclined to say that YRF and Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara is turning out to be Aditya Chopra and YRF’s modern-day DDLJ.”

The film's soundtrack, featuring songs by hitmakers Mithoon and Tanishk Bagchi among others, have also become massive hits. As of Monday afternoon, the film's title song, Saiyaara, has garnered more than 150 million views on YouTube.

Many have also credited the film's success to its deliberately low-key marketing by producer and distributor Yash Raj Films, foregoing conventional promotional routes or using star power to hype up interest in the film – instead using word of mouth and social media reactions to create buzz.

Who are Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda?

The cousin of actress Ananya Panday and the nephew of actor Chunky Panday, Ahaan has acting pedigree. His sister, Alanna Panday, is a YouTube star, while his mother Deanne Panday, is a known wellness coach, having author several popular health books. His father, Chikki Panday, is a businessman and Chunky's brother.

Saiyaara centres around an emotionally-unstable musician who strikes up a relationship with a shy poet. Photo: Yash Raj Films

Padda, meanwhile, is a former model, best known for her role in the 2024 Prime Video series Big Girls Don't Cry. Originally from Punjab, Padda is also a singer and songwriter. Saiyaara is her first major film role.

Saiyaara is now showing across the Middle East