With Bollywood’s recent focal point being action thrillers, romance had taken to the sidelines, until Saiyaara defied this pattern, emerging as one of 2025’s most successful movies. How have they achieved this? With an emotionally compelling plot and well-developed characters carefully stitched with musical masterpieces. It strikes a perfect balance of all these elements, enveloping it into what seems like an entertaining, emotional rollercoaster, with Mohit Suri to credit for restoring the love Bollywood audiences once held for romance.
Romance movies that feature opposites never fail to catch the attention of the audience, and Suri has weaponized this. Saiyaara features a difficult singer’s encounter with a bashful, talented poet. Many fans have claimed the movie’s close resemblance to the intensely loved Aashiqui 2 directed by Mohit Suri himself, while others have asserted its striking affinity to the Korean film A Walk to Remember. However, one thing is for sure: the plot of the movie has managed to tug at the heartstrings of its audience, leaving them speechless. Well on its way to becoming a romance classic, this film has given Bollywood fans a much-needed break from the plethora of action and patriotic films that continue to fill the Hindi movie reservoir. Indeed, its numbers speak for themselves. Despite facing fierce competition from new movies like ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps,’ ‘Superman,’ and ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer,’ Saiyaara has beaten records, earning around 172.5 crore on its first weekend and cementing its name as the biggest debut-pair opening.
What makes this film’s success even more special is that it features actors who have no star power. In fact, it introduces its main actor, Ahaan Pandey, marking his debut as stronger than those of stars like Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, and Siddharth Malhotra, having crossed the success of ‘Student of the Year.’ This has precluded long-held beliefs that the secret to a movie hit is star power. Not denying star power as a key ingredient to most successes, Saiyaara proves that ultimately it’s the plot and performances of a movie that determine the hit or flop of a movie. Indeed, many have appreciated Pandey’s electric screen presence coupled with the nuanced performance style of Aneet Padda, making for a truly remarkable watching experience where tears and smiles coalesce.
Strengthening this experience is the soundtrack of the movie, which further amplifies the emotions portrayed by the actors. Needless to say, the Saiyaara playlist has swept the audience off their feet, with the title track echoing on the hums of all those who have watched it. Moreover, it continues to dominate the Hindi film algorithm of social media apps, embedding the tune into even minds who aren’t aware of the movie. With songs like ‘Dhun’ and ‘Barbaad’ capturing the despondency, angst, and joy, they are soon to become staples in most playlists.
So, don’t miss out on the theater experience of what many have described as the ‘revival of Bollywood romance,’ and head to the Hindi movie theater near you.