Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda’s romantic musical Saiyaara opened to terrific response from both critics and audiences alike. It took a record-breaking start at the box office with a collection of Rs 21.25 crore.
In a recent interview with Variety, director Mohit Suri disclosed that numerous industry veterans strongly discouraged him from making the film. Many were against the idea of launching a romantic drama with debutant actors in a time dominated by high-budget spectacles and action-packed blockbusters.
Explaining the reasoning behind the pushback, Suri recounted what he was told by industry filmmakers, “No one’s going to make a film with youngsters or a love story in this market, especially not with newcomers. Today’s cinema is all about larger-than-life productions and guaranteed blockbusters.”
Despite the skepticism, Suri remained committed to the project. He had already crafted the story and believed in its emotional essence. The pivotal moment arrived when he partnered with Yash Raj Films, a production house that recognized the potential in Saiyaara. The YRF team, Suri noted, was actively searching for a story just like his and wholeheartedly embraced the script.
Interestingly, Suri originally envisioned Saiyaara as Aashiqui 3. In a previous interview with Pinkvilla, he mentioned that producers Bhushan Kumar and Mukesh Bhatt approached him for the third installment of the iconic romantic franchise. However, Suri decided to step back when the team wanted to hasten the announcement without a finalized script. “I prefer having the story in place first, then making announcements,” he stated. It’s day 2 of Siyaara’s release and the film is all set to touch Rs 50 crore mark at the box office.