In 2025, Bollywood made a striking comeback, or rather revived the romantic drama genre. Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda’s Saiyaara exceeded trade expectations beyond imagination, and certified the fact that romance isn’t dead in Bollywood.
July witnessed two cinematic phenomena. After Saiyaara, the small-budget animation film from the South, Mahavatar Narsimha did extraordinary business, restoring the 20-year-old dead genre of animation.
Filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya is among the few individuals who laud or appreciate others when they succeed. In the latest conversation, Sooraj reflects on the path-breaking success of these two films. While promoting his new show with DNA India, Sooraj expresses his happiness with the success of Saiyaara. Sooraj started his career with romantic drama Maine Pyar Kiya, and thus the success of YRF’s latest film was kind of personal to him.
Sooraj Barjatya on Saiyaara
Speaking about Mohit Suri’s directorial, Sooraj asserts that the genre of romance is evergreen. “I think the goodness of cinema, romance, and simple storytelling kabhi kam nahin hoga. A good film is a ek good film, aur woh timeless hai. Hum ye na bole ki jo main tha, 40 years back, when I made Maine Pyar Kiya, waise magic aaj nahi hoga. Aaj bhi toh we have our young audience. Humare bache hai, aur DNA bhi toh wohi hai. Hamara lagav apne bachchon ke prati kam thodi hua hai, to yeh kaise hum bol sakte hain, ki mohabbat wali filmein nahin chalegi (“I think the goodness of cinema, romance, and simple storytelling will never perish. A good film is a good film, and it is timeless. We shouldn’t say that the magic that I had 40 years back, when I made Maine Pyar Kiya, would not be there today. Even today, we have our young audience. We have kids, and it’s in our DNA. Our love for our kids hasn’t declined, so how can we say that love films will not work?)”
Conviction is the key: Sooraj Barjatya
The Hum Aapke Hain Koun director further lauds the producer and director for following their vision, “The best part with Adi, Mohit is — they have done it sincerely. Aap agar pooche unse to bolenge, ki humne to wo banaya, jo humko banana tha. I think woh unka secret hai. Chahe wo TV show ho, chahe film ho, jo banana chaha, woh banaya hai — ye nahin socha ki kya chalta hai (The best part with Adi, Mohit is – they have done it sincerely. If you ask them, they will say that they made what they wanted to make. I think that is their secret. Be it a TV show or a film, whatever they wanted to make, they made it – they never thought about what’s working).”
Sooraj Barjatya on Mahavtar Narsimha
The filmmaker also mentions Mahavtar Narsimha for bringing the audience back for devotional films, and adds, “Log humesha bolte hai ki yeh nahi chalegi, but hume basic belief hona chaiye, aur woh sincerity chalakti hai. Conviction is more important than marketing. Conviction is most important. Maine saath filmein banayi hain. Jo conviction wali hai, wo hi chali hai. Jo marketing ke hisaab se hoti hai, woh kam chalti hai (People always predict what will fail, but we should have a basic belief, and that sincerity works. Conviction is more important than marketing. I have made seven films. Only the films which were based on conviction worked. Movies that were heavily dependent on marketing failed).”