What made ‘Saiyaara’ click at the box office?

Its success is a sign that audiences are ready to move away from propaganda and misogynistic love stories, writes Asra Mavad

Social media is currently chock-a-block with videos of moviegoers bawling their eyes out, howling, and even fainting as they watch Mohit Suri’s latest. Saiyaara, in typical Suri fashion, follows a hot-headed aspirational artiste, Krish Kapoor, and a timid newbie “journalist”, Vaani. Their chance encounter not only creates a love story that is incredibly clichéd but is also filled with all kinds of plot holes.

However, despite all of this, the movie feels like a breath of fresh air. Youngsters especially seem to resonate with the movie. For one, a movie about young love features a young cast. For years, audiences have endured the surreal sight of middle-aged male actors playing college students or young lovers, often paired opposite female actors half their age. The dissonance, while normalised by star power, has always been jarring.

In Saiyaara, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda offer a refreshing break. They not only look young — they feel young. Their nervous energy, awkward silences, and unpolished chemistry resonate with viewers who see their own confusion and yearning reflected onscreen. Instead of polished perfection, they bring a rawness that lends authenticity to their characters. In this scenario, the subpar acting works in their favour.

The cherry on top is that the budding love between Krish and Vaani, carries you into a world far, far away from the likes of Animal and Kabir Singh. In an era of toxic love tropes, this sweet connection feels revolutionary. Mohit Suri resists the urge to insert a plethora of action sequences or over-the-top emotional breakdowns. There are no slapfests in the rain, no chest-thumping speeches, no glorified stalking masked as pursuit. What we get instead is a love story rooted in patience, listening, and healing.

A person in love, being patient and empathetic towards their partner, might be the bare minimum in the real world. But, in the context of current Bollywood, it almost felt like an oasis in the middle of the Sahara.

Equally integral to the film’s impact is its music. The soundtrack is not just background; it is the soul of Saiyaara. Each song emerges organically from the narrative, accentuating rather than interrupting the film’s emotional rhythm.

And to be fair, there’s no harm in watching a ‘bad’ movie every once in a while. I’d much rather have movies like Saiyaara flood the theatres than watch directors like Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Vivek Agnihotri fill the screen with their nauseating narratives. Hopefully, the makers of Bollywood take the movie’s success as a sign. It looks like the audience is finally ready to move away from propaganda movies and misogynistic “love stories”. 

Saiyaara has the potential for a quiet revolution. It doesn’t change Bollywood with a bang, but with a whisper. And in that whisper, it redefines what a love story can be: not perfect, not heroic, but honest, patient, and kind.