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Saiyaara
2025 Indian film by Mohit Suri From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Saiyaara is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film directed by Mohit Suri.[5] Produced by Yash Raj Films, it stars debutant Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. The film follows Krish Kapoor, a troubled musician who forms a deep connection with Vaani Batra, a shy poet.
Saiyaara was released on 18 July 2025, and received positive reviews from critics, with praise towards Panday and Padda's performances, Suri's direction and the soundtrack.[6][7] The film was a major commercial success, grossing over ₹541 crore worldwide to emerge as the second highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025, the second highest-grossing Indian film of 2025 and the highest-grossing Indian romantic film.[8][9]
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Plot
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With her parents and younger brother, Vaani waits at the court for Mahesh and his family for their scheduled marriage. However, during a phone call, Vaani learns that Mahesh has abandoned her for the daughter of a prominent businessman, choosing career ambitions over love. Devastated, Vaani faints and withdraws into deep depression, locking herself in her room for months and losing touch with her passion for writing.
Krish Kapoor, a young and talented musician, is trying to establish himself in the industry. He is emotionally unstable, aggressive, and uses music to cope with childhood trauma. After an unpleasant encounter with a journalist and a confrontation with a band member who took credit for his work, Krish is held together by his friend KV, who financially supports the band using money meant for his education. One day, Krish comes across the personal poetry of Vaani who is seeking a job as an anchor and writer at a publishing house. He is immediately drawn to the raw simplicity and depth in her writing.
Despite initial hesitation due to Krish's erratic behavior and the overwhelming environment of the music studio, Vaani agrees to collaborate with him on a song for a production house. During a creative block, Krish discovers torn pages in her notebook and realizes she is carrying emotional baggage of her own. To ease her mind, Krish takes Vaani to a cricket ground where he often finds peace. Inspired by his passion and focus, Vaani begins writing again.
Their collaboration deepens as they spend more time together in the studio, riding on Krish's bike, and attending social gatherings. Vaani slowly regains her confidence, while Krish finds clarity and balance in her presence. When Krish is publicly embarrassed by the sight of his drunken father being brought home by the police, he vents his pent-up anger at him, blaming him for his mother's death due to alcoholism. He escapes to the cricket ground, where Vaani follows and comforts him. She acknowledges how Krish has helped her heal and now she is able to write freely again. In turn, she supports him in enrolling his father into a rehabilitation center. Their emotional bond strengthens further.
Once their project is completed, Krish drops Vaani home and tells her that her life would be better without him. However, fate intervenes when they reunite at a concert, where they realize their mutual feelings.
One day, Vaani's parents see Krish dropping her off and grow concerned. Her mother fears Krish might abandon Vaani like Mahesh once did. Overwhelmed by the stress, Vaani faints and is hospitalized. Her father allows Krish to visit her, and her mother, though skeptical, asks Krish if he truly intends to stay. She tells him to marry Vaani if he genuinely loves her. Krish agrees, strengthening Vaani's belief in his love and deepening their connection.
Their lives take a dramatic turn when Vaani is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, with signs of memory loss becoming apparent just as Krish is about to leave for a concert. Her condition leads to a public outburst after unexpectedly running into Mahesh at an event. Krish receives a call from a security guard using Vaani's phone, informing him about her distressed state and abandoned belongings. He cancels his flight and finds her at the same cricket ground, attempting to play. Vaani expresses her fear of forgetting Krish and herself. He reassures her that he will always be there, creating new memories if she forgets the old ones.
On medical advice, Vaani's parents consider a change of environment. Krish volunteers to take her on a trip, and they travel to Alibaug. During this time, their love flourishes, and they create cherished memories.
Later, Krish brings Vaani to a concert. She assures him she will always cheer for him, no matter what. While she records his performance, Mahesh reappears, triggering her symptoms. She forgets the present and Mahesh attempts to exploit her vulnerability. Krish intervenes and assaults Mahesh for his actions. Vaani, unable to recognize Krish, panics and injures him in an attempt to protect Mahesh. Krish calms her down and takes her back to their guesthouse, where his father, witnessing everything, apologizes for the pain he caused in Krish's childhood and advises him not to sacrifice his life for love as he once did.
In the quiet of the guesthouse, Krish plays the piano and narrates a story of a friend whose girlfriend is slipping away. Vaani, moved, writes the song "Saiyaara" as a farewell message, promising that music will always bring her back. But due to her condition, she accidentally calls Krish by Mahesh's name, breaking his heart. When he returns from a brief moment alone, Vaani is gone.
Unable to find her despite extensive searches with her parents, Krish decides to release the song "Saiyaara," hoping it will reach her somehow. It becomes a global hit. Now a superstar, Krish tours across the country performing the song, always carrying Vaani's notebook containing her writings.
Months later, while preparing for a concert at Wembley Stadium, KV spots Vaani in a viral social media reel featuring "Saiyaara." Krish rushes to see it and learns she is in Manali. He travels to an ashram in Himachal Pradesh where Vaani has been staying. The caretaker gives him a letter from Vaani, in which she explains that she left him to let him achieve his dreams, not wanting to hold him back due to her condition. She confesses she follows his success from afar and listens to "Saiyaara" often.
Krish meets her, but she doesn't recognize him and complains about being unable to write. He reminds her of the things only they shared, recreates the cricket scene from their first collaboration, and gradually, memories start returning. Vaani eventually remembers him and passionately confesses her love.
The film ends with Krish performing at Wembley Stadium, with Vaani by his side, as they get married, having finally reunited through love, music, and memory.
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Cast
- Ahaan Panday as Krish Kapoor
- Aneet Padda as Vaani Batra
- Geeta Agrawal Sharma as Mrs. Geeta Batra, Vaani's mother
- Rajesh Kumar as Mr. Rajesh Batra, Vaani's father
- Varun Badola as Ashok Kapoor, Krish's father
- Shaad Randhawa as Prince
- Sid Makkar as Vinit Rawal
- Alam Khan as KV
- Shaan Grover as Mahesh Iyer, Vaani's former fiancée
- Neil Bhoopalam as Cleo Matthews
- Anngad Raaj as Rudransh "Ruddy" Batra, Vaani's brother
- Ritika Murthy as Neha
- Mohit Wadhwa as Rick
- Meher Acharia Dar as Dr. Khyati
- Raunak Kumar Rawat as Vivaan
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Production
The film was officially announced by Mumbai Based Yash Raj Films, with Mohit Suri signed as the director.[10] Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda were cast in the lead roles.[11][12] For the film's female lead, Suri stressed that he wanted an actress who had not undergone any cosmetic procedures.[13] Principal photography began in September 2024 and concluded in March 2025.[14][15]
In an interview, Suri revealed that the project was initially envisioned by him as a possible third installment in the Aashiqui franchise, but it did not materialize with its producers. Inspired by the Netflix documentary, The Romantics, he began independently developing the story, titled Saiyaara, without a producer. However, Akshaye Widhani, the CEO of Yash Raj Films, later came on-board to produce and back the film under Yash Raj Films.[16]
Soundtrack
The music album consists of 7 songs, composed by Mithoon, Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, Arslan Nizami, Vishal Mishra, Sachet-Parampara and The Rish (Rishabh Kant), with lyrics written by Irshad Kamil, Mithoon, Rishabh Kant and Raj Shekhar.[17][18] The background score was composed by John Stewart Eduri, who replaced Suri's norm collaborator Raju Singh.[19] The vocals were provided by Arijit Singh, Jubin Nautiyal, Shreya Ghoshal, Shilpa Rao, Vishal Mishra, Sachet-Parampara, Faheem Abdullah and Hansika Pareek. The soundtrack album was released on 4 July 2025.[20]
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Marketing
The film's teaser was released on 30 May 2025.[21] The trailer was released on 8 July 2025.[22] Panday and Padda did not promote the film before its release, as Suri wanted audiences to experience the pair for the first time on screen.[23]
Release
The film was cleared with a U/A certificate from the CBFC after a few cuts.[24] Saiyaara was released theatrically on 18 July 2025.[25]
Reception
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Box office
As of 10 August 2025, Saiyaara has grossed approximately ₹394.61 crore (US$47 million) domestically and ₹146.52 crore (US$17 million) overseas, for a worldwide gross of ₹541.13 crore (US$64 million).[26] The film's box office performance has been described as unprecedented by many trade experts, with The Indian Express noting that it stood out "at a time when films are struggling to break even, especially the ones starring new faces or debutantes".[27]
The film had a record-breaking opening day, collecting ₹28.75 crore (US$3.4 million) worldwide, marking the highest opening for a Hindi film featuring a debutant male lead.[28] Its opening weekend was strong across India, especially in urban multiplexes, with ₹83 crore (US$10 million) net earned domestically and over ₹119 crore (US$14 million) globally.[29][30] By the end of its first week, Saiyaara had collected between ₹172.5 crore and ₹175.25 crore (US$20–21 million) net in India, and approximately ₹250.5 crore (US$30 million) worldwide, surpassing Ek Villain to become the highest-grossing film of Mohit Suri's career.[31][32] This made it the second-biggest opening week for a Hindi release in 2025, behind Chhaava. On its eighth day, the film maintained momentum, earning ₹17.5 crore (US$2.1 million) net.[33] On 26 July 2025 (its ninth day), it crossed the ₹200 crore (US$24 million) milestone domestically with an additional ₹15.3 crore (US$1.8 million), becoming the second fastest Hindi film of 2025 to enter the ₹200 crore club. The film crossed ₹300 crore mark on its ninth day.[34] Its total stood at ₹220.75 crore net in India and ₹327.74 crore worldwide by the end of day ten. By this point, Saiyaara had already outperformed the lifetime totals of Raid 2, Sitaare Zameen Par and Housefull 5 becoming the second highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025 as well as the second highest-grossing Indian film of the year, behind only Chhaava. By its twelfth day of release, the film had earned an estimated ₹270.75 crore (US$32 million) net in India, with a domestic gross of ₹319.5 crore (US$38 million). Its overseas earnings stood at ₹86 crore (US$10.8 million), bringing its total worldwide gross to ₹404 crore (US$48 million), surpassing Kabir Singh as the highest-grossing Indian romantic film of all time.[35]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.1/10.[36]
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave 4.5/5 stars, and wrote "On the whole, Saiyaara is a stirring musical saga elevated by Mohit Suri's deft direction, heartfelt romance, chart-topping music, and stellar lead performances.[37] Rishil Jogani of Pinkvilla gave 3.5/5 stars, and wrote "Saiyaara is a beautifully crafted romantic drama that triumphs through its stellar performances, enchanting music, and Mohit Suri's masterful direction. Despite a familiar storyline, the film's emotional depth and heartfelt chemistry make it a must-watch".[38] Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times gave 3.5/5 stars, and wrote "Overall, Saiyaara may not break new ground in terms of storytelling, but it strikes the right emotional chords. It's a film that understands its audience and delivers with sincerity. It offers just enough to make you feel—and that, sometimes, is more than enough".[39] Radhika Sharma of NDTV gave the film 3/5 stars, and wrote "The story is as old as time. Bad boy meets good girl, sparks fly, and then, there's heartbreak, sacrifice, and reunion".[40] Vinamra Mathur of Firstpost gave 3/5 stars, and wrote "Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda sail through this messy, imperfect love story".[41]
Vineeta Kumar of India Today gave 3.5/5 stars, and wrote "Saiyaara' doesn't promise the best love story or the most dazzling performances. But it holds your hand, sings to your broken heart, and walks with you for a while. It's entertaining, emotional, and musical - a cinematic piece where the flaws are visible, but so is the heart".[42] Kusumika Das of Times Now gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "The soul of the film lies in the cast's performances. There are flashes of brilliance - lines like "Mera na hona, tumhare bade hone ka wajah banega" echo the classic Mohit Suri magic. But overall, Saiyaara feels like it aimed for the stars and only touched the clouds".[43] Aishwarya Vasudevan of OTTplay gave 3/5 stars, and wrote "Saiyaara doesn't reinvent the wheel of romance, but it sure makes it spin with heart. While its story may echo familiar chords, the harmony between Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda hits the right notes".[44] Jaya Dwivedie of India TV gave 3/5 stars, and wrote "'Saiyaara is a slow-paced love story that tries to reach the hearts of the audience despite its unfamiliarity and incompleteness".[45]
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References
External links
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