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Saiyaara Review: Where Love, Loss & Melody Collide
🎬 Overview & Premise
Released on July 18, 2025, under the Yash Raj Films banner, Saiyaara marks the Bollywood debut of Ahaan Panday (nephew of Chunky Panday) and Aneet Padda, under the seasoned direction of Mohit Suri. Spanning 156 minutes, the film explores the emotional journey of Krish Kapoor, a volatile yet gifted musician, and Vaani Batra, a talented lyricist with her own inner turmoil.
Krish, still reeling from his father’s alcoholism, meets Vaani, recovering from a traumatic heartbreak. They forge a creative bond that blossoms into intense romance, only to be struck by tragedy when Vaani is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.
👥 Performances
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Ahaan Panday brings authentic intensity to Krish—his performance is raw, emotionally turbulent, and resonates with sincerity. Critics note a blend of youthful swagger and brooding depth reminiscent of early Salman Khan vibes. Filmfare praises his body language and thoughtful silences, while BoxOffice Worldwide highlights his capacity to portray self-destruction and vulnerability.
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Aneet Padda delivers a nuanced and arresting portrayal of Vaani. She captures her character’s strength, confusion, and heartbreaking descent into memory loss with powerful subtlety. Filmfare also applauds her depiction of a character “slipping into the fog of memory loss”.
Supporting cast members like Varun Badola, Rajesh Kumar, and Alam Khan offer solid performances, grounding the protagonists’ emotional arcs.
🎞 Direction & Writing
Mohit Suri stays true to his formula: romance, emotional pain, and music intertwine. Critics recognize the film’s sincerity, noting that while evocative, it doesn’t stray far from well-worn tropes seen in Aashiqui 2 or Rockstar. Filmfare and BoxOffice Worldwide commend his emotional nuance and refusal to overdramatize the narrative. However, several critics point out that the 2½‑hour runtime could have benefited from tighter editing and a stronger narrative pace.
Some reviewers, like Rediff and Outlook India, feel Saiyaara leans too heavily on formulaic devices—making it emotionally familiar yet occasionally hollow.
🎵 Music – The Soul of Saiyaara
Music, as always in a Suri film, plays a leading role.
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Title track “Saiyaara Re” (Faheem Abdullah & Arslan Nizami) emerges as the emotional spine of the film—haunting, poignant, and underscores key narrative beats.
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Other notable songs include “Barbaad,” “Dhun,” “Humsafar,” and “Tum Ho Toh”, weaving heartbreak, introspection, and tenderness into the storyline.
Industry voices, including Kunal Kohli, describe Saiyaara as a resurgence of music‑driven romance in Bollywood, lamenting that current “heroes have killed music”.
Despite one dissenting review from ABP Live, which finds only the title track memorable, most critics and audiences agree that the music is the film's greatest asset.
📸 Cinematography & Production
Vikas Sivaraman’s visuals are a highlight—from intimate rain‑drenched frames to muted, expressionist tones mirroring the protagonists’ emotional states. Intentional palettes of yellow and blue reinforce inner turmoil and serenity. Settings—studios, flats, hospitals—are skillfully designed to reflect the film’s mood.
✅ What Works
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Fresh Leads: Ahaan and Aneet, despite debut jitters, embody their characters with depth and chemistry.
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Emotive Music: A heartfelt musical journey underpins the narrative and resonates with Gen Z.
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Emotional Core: The film’s exploration of love, loss, memory, and creative collaboration strikes a chord.
⚠️ What Falls Flat
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Predictable Story: Story arcs feel familiar, lacking innovation.
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Pacing Issues: The lengthy runtime weighs heavily, especially post-interval.
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Supporting Subplots: Relationships like Krish’s band and Vaani’s ex could have had more texture.
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Emotional Underdevelopment: Some critics feel the impact of tragedy is diluted by melodramatic handling.
📈 Box Office & Reception
Despite mixed reviews, audiences gravitated toward the film. It earned a solid ₹20–21 crore on opening Friday, with strong audience occupancy—especially in Jaipur and Lucknow—positioning it as one of the biggest Day‑1 successes for a debut film. Piracy became a concern, with the film leaking online within hours of release.
Public sentiment appears favorable, with many labeling Saiyaara as “Gen‑Z’s Aashiqui”.
🎯 Final Verdict (Approx. 1,000 words)
Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara is a contemporary throwback to Bollywood’s era of melody‑laden, emotional romance. Featuring two rising talents, it pulls heartstrings with sincerity, stellar music, and a visual palette that complements its mood. Though weighed down by predictability, pacing issues, and narrative familiarity, its emotional resonance and musical strength elevate it above mere melodrama.
For fans of musical romance, this film offers a deeply emotive experience. Ahaan Panday’s promising debut and Aneet Padda’s layered portrayal make this a meaningful watcher’s journey. The soundtrack already seems destined to outlive the film. While it won’t shatter genre conventions, it effectively revives a format that had grown dormant—and it does so with heart.
If you're ready to fall for a love story where every lyric is another tear, and every frame carries a memory, Saiyaara is worth the watch.
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