Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda starrer Saiyaara started creating quite a buzz in days leading up to its release. Even though the film stars newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, it still headed towards becoming the film with second highest ticket sales in advanced bookings. This happened despite the film going for minimal promotions and keeping the lead actors, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda away from the media. Director Mohit Suri learnt the tactic from his 2013 romantic-drama, Aashiqui 2.
Speaking about the reason behind the decision in a conversation with Just Too Filmy, Mohit said, “It was an idea that collectively came forward. My producer Akshaye Widhani and, of course, Aditya Chopra, who has mentored us through this thing, suggested that until the two actors don’t have anything behind them to talk about, the conversation will be filled with questions like ‘Who is the prankster on the set?’ or ‘How is it to work with Mohit Suri?’ It’s all redundant stuff, and I don’t think anyone has any interest in listening to all that.”
The director recalled the promotions for Aashiqui 2, which starred newcomers Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor and how the two were kept away from media before release. “I remember when I was doing Aashiqui 2, and while we were shooting in Goa, people were recognising me but had no idea about Shraddha or Aditya. Later near the release of the film, we had to catch a flight back from Chandigarh and while we were in the air, the first show of the movie broke out. Upon landing I saw Shraddha and Aditya getting mobbed by the flight crew, fans and everyone around them, and the way they treated them after was way different. They weren’t being praised for their looks, not how we pushed them, but what the audience saw and connected with," said the director.
Trade experts are predicting that the film might open in double digits, somewhere between Rs 15 and Rs 20 crore. The film’s advances are touted to be more than twice of much bigger romantic films like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani (2023) and Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (2023).
It marks the debut of Ahaan, who is the cousin of Ananya Panday. He was signed as a YRF Talent almost about six years back to go through intense training programmes devised personally by Aditya. Aneet, on the other hand, previously featured in the series Big Girls Don’t Cry (2024).