5 Reasons Why Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara Is Ruling the Box Office: Ahaan Panday-Aneet Padda’s Debut Is More Than Just ‘Cringe’ Reels

When the trailer for Saiyaara first dropped, the internet had a field day. Social media feeds were flooded with memes, “cringe” comments, and reels mocking the film’s melodrama. Many were quick to dismiss it as another Gen Z romance born for the Gram and destined to flop.

But then something did happen.

The movie opened in the theaters… and it clicked.

On Day 1 itself, Saiyaara collected a record ₹20 crore, a figure for a debut film with two newcomers — Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda — in the lead. And now word of mouth is working in its favor. What seemed like a disaster unfolding on the eve of Republic Day is now being hailed as the surprise hit of 2025.

So, what happened? What led people into the theaters, and above all, what led them out with an amazed expression?

These are 5 very real reasons Saiyaara is winning hearts — and the box office.

It’s a Mohit Suri Film — Romance with Real Pain

There is something about Mohit Suri movies — they never strive to be perfect, but always manage to feel. From Aashiqui 2, Hamari Adhuri Kahani, to Ek Villain, Suri is best to capture heartbreak no other Indian filmmaker can.

With Saiyaara, he has comfortable ground to occupy — star-crossed love, trauma, sacrifice. But rather than resorting to tried trickery, he tops it with a dash of contemporary complexity. No fairytale this. No, this is raw, messy, and not one whit compromising on its emotions.

Ahaan Panday as Aarav, a provincial lad with a heart that’s big and a heartbreak that’s even bigger. Aneet Padda as Noor, a hot-headed but innocent girl caught in a dilemma between kin and love. It is not their love story about perfection — it’s about trying in an imperfect world. And for that reason, it’s real.

The Music Isn’t Just Good — It’s Healing

Ask anyone what the first thing they recall when they think of a Mohit Suri movie is, and 9 times out of 10, it’ll be the music. Saiyaara is no exception — and here’s a new benchmark.

The title track, performed by Arijit Singh, has already gone national. On the radio, on streaming websites, or emotional reels, this song is everywhere. And it’s not an isolation. The album is a mixed bag of emotion — there are heartbreak ballads, dreamy romantic duets, and every one of them appears to be that of what the characters themselves are feeling.

It’s not just background score. It’s an emotional spine. The kind of music that lingers long after the film ends.

Ahaan & Aneet: More Than Just ‘Insta-Fame’

Let’s cut out the elephant in the room — nepotism and social media stardom. Ahaan Panday has been the other celebrity kid trying to become a biggie, and lesser-recognized Aneet Padda had her share of trolldom too. But Saiyaara reminds us of something important: talent isn’t determined by social media.

Ahaan infuses Aarav with surprise vulnerability. He’s not reading lines — he’s performing them. His eyes are worth more than a thousand words, particularly in those instances when he’s crumbling silently. Aneet, by comparison, brings in strength and depth. Her Noor isn’t merely a love interest — she’s got her own wars, her own voice.

Together, their chemistry isn’t forced or overwhelming. It’s uncomfortable, intense, and deeply human — which is most likely why people are responding to it so heavily.

It’s Instagram-Worthy — But With Substance

Yes, Saiyaara is really quite pretty to look at. Golden-hour lighting, mountain vacations, pastel wardrobe — it’s all “Reel ready” from head to toe. What makes the film special, though, is that these visuals aren’t surface-y. They’re emotionally based.

The Ravi K. Chandran photography takes monotonous backdrops and turns them into mood boards of emotion. A solitary train journey. A rooftop fight with a drab sky. A muffled goodbye against a rain-drenched street. They are not mere frames to be filtered and shared on Instagram — they’re moments that *have bearing* on the narrative.

The movie employs the vocabulary of this generation — without condescension. It employs beauty to mirror the restlessness in the characters.

It Gets Gen Z — Without Mocking Them

All movies these days attempt to be “Gen Z-friendly” and turn out to be tone-deaf. Saiyaara is not one of them. It never mocks the emotions of this generation. It does take them seriously.

Aarav and Noor are kids, sure. But their issues aren’t nerdy. They’re grappling with real-world issues: career dreams, family expectations, class divide, mental illness, and how to choose yourself when the world will try to define you. The movie doesn’t try to provide all of the answers. But it does raise the right questions.

That authenticity is what’s connecting with young audiences — not only watching the movie, but seeing themselves there.

Perhaps Saiyaara did not start on the right sort of publicity. Perhaps it was open to ridicule — two handsome lead actors, melodramatic soundtrack, bleak trailer. But occasionally movies catch us unawares. They beat them around the first knee-jerk response and then they make us forget why we actually love films at all — which is because they reach out to us on an emotional level.

And Saiyaara does exactly that.

It brings tears to your eyes. It makes you recall. It makes you believe that despite the world’s distractibility these days, love stories still exist.

So if you’ve been boycotting it due to the memes — perhaps give it a shot. You might just exit with a lump in your throat… and an earworm in your brain.