Mohit Suri’s musical romance Saiyaara, featuring debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, is poised for a strong opening at the domestic box office. Early advance bookings indicate a wave of positive word-of-mouth, raising hopes that the Yash Raj Films release could become a rare post-pandemic success for newcomers by opening in double digits.According to Sacnilk data, Saiyaara has already garnered advance bookings worth Rs 4.41 crore for its opening day, including Rs 1.8 crore from block bookings. Over 50,000 tickets have been sold in advance so far, and the final number is expected to surpass 1,50,000 tickets.
When combined with on-the-spot ticket sales, Saiyaara is projected to register an impressive double-digit opening, a feat seldom achieved by films led by newcomers recently. By comparison, Mohit Suri’s last directorial, Ek Villain Returns, opened with Rs 7.05 crore despite featuring established stars like John Abraham and Arjun Kapoor. Its predecessor, Ek Villain (2014), had debuted at Rs 16.7 crore.Similarly, Suri’s 2020 romantic thriller Malang, starring Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani, Anil Kapoor, and Kunal Kemmu, opened at Rs 6.71 crore. His last double-digit opener was the 2017 romance Half Girlfriend, with Arjun Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, which earned Rs 10.3 crore on day one.Saiyaara has nearly surpassed the opening day collections of Suri’s 2015 film Humari Adhuri Kahani—which opened at just Rs 4.95 crore—and his last film with newcomers, Aashiqui 2 (2013), which opened at Rs 6.1 crore.
While Aashiqui 2 was a sequel to Mahesh Bhatt’s iconic 1990 film and featured leads who had prior film experience, Saiyaara’s lead actor Ahaan Panday is a fresh face. He comes from an entertainment family, being the brother of social media star Alanna Panday, cousin to actor Ananya Panday, and nephew of Chunky Panday. Meanwhile, Aneet Padda has already earned praise for her role in the Prime Video India series Big Girls Don’t Cry.Marking Mohit Suri’s first collaboration with Aditya Chopra’s Yash Raj Films—known for a distinctive style of romance—Saiyaara also boasts a soundtrack that has quickly become a favorite among listeners, adding to the film’s growing buzz ahead of its release.
