Recently, you might have noticed the hype around Saiyaara, with people going gaga over its songs, crying and fainting in theatres. If you are wondering what this madness is among Gen Z, I am right there with you, so let’s talk about it.

On 30th May, I noticed the Saiyaara teaser from YRF in my YouTube feed. I ignored it, seeing the names “Ahaan Panday” and “Aneet Padda”, thinking that this may be another cheesy love story from talentless nepo babies.

I am not anti-nepotism, but Bollywood has indeed stopped making heart-felt love stories with talented new actors long ago.

The last love story I appreciated in Hindi cinema was ‘Sanam Teri Kasam’, thanks to Harshvardhan Rane’s acting and the sizzling chemistry between the two actors. I saw it during its first release in 2016 and enjoyed its success during its re-release in February 2025.

I grew up being an innocent fan of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and when my husband and I moved to London, the first two places in Europe that we visited were Saanen (Switzerland) and Paris (France), because of DDLJ.

So, until now, you would have guessed that I am a massive fan of the romance genre in movies, books, and in the real world.

I was a hopeful romantic before I encountered the love of my life, and I still believe that the most precious treasure one can find in this materialistic world is selfless love.

Saiyaara Movie and Reasons Behind Its Success

I ignored the teaser, but when Saiyaara was released, I saw one review that mentioned how fans were howling over songs and scenes. Then I started getting more recommendations for videos about actors, movie clips, songs, and more. Even in my social groups, people began discussing the reason behind all the hype.

So, last Saturday, I decided to watch Saiyaara with my Saiyaara 😉 in Cineworld London, after he promised me that he wouldn’t pass any commentary while watching the movie. Since we’re in our 30s, it’s obvious we might not relate to some of the Gen Z content.

You won’t believe, the entire theatre was packed. We got seats in the fourth row, right near the screen. Last time it happened when Jawaan was released. Shahrukh Khan has been in the industry for more than twenty-five years, and Ahaan Panday has just entered.

Saiyaara is inspired by the Korean movie “A Moment to Remember,” which itself is a remake of a Japanese TV drama, Pure Soul.

Most romantic movies in the Hindi film industry draw inspiration from classics like Romeo and Juliet, Heer Ranjha, DDLJ or successful movies from other industries.

However, the right kind of direction, bonding between the two characters and actors, and melodious music make some movies lovable, and these reasons are helping Saiyaara too. Additionally, their non-promotional strategy is creating curiosity among the public.

Ahaan’s sister has had a YouTube channel where she has posted videos about Ahaan and other family members for the last four years. Following the release of Saiyaara, her channel has seen a threefold growth. Her videos are getting recommended by YouTube to people like me who weren’t even searching for Ahaan or Aneet.

The story of Saiyaara may not be a wind of change, but this new on-screen pair of AP-AP is.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, selfless love is a treasure that not everyone can find. It’s becoming a fantasy that everyone yearns for, especially in the world of Tinder and Bumble, where love has taken the form of swipe right and left. Saiyaara is bringing you into that zone of selfless love, but with a happy ending(spoiler alert!).

Plot of Saiyaara

Saiyaara is the story of an aspiring musician, Krish Kapoor, and Vaani Batra, who writes poetry and works as an intern journalist with a media company.

Vaani is dealing with a heartbreak from her past because she was left waiting on her wedding day, and Krish, along with a troubled relationship with his alcoholic father, is coping with nepotism issues in his band. Krish is an angry young man whose dream is to make it big in the music industry.

As he entered Vaani’s office, he stumbled upon her diary, which she had left at the pillar in the corridor. He reads her poetry and gets intrigued.

He beats the media guy from Vaani’s office, who omitted Krish’s name from his story. This oversight later causes a rift with the other band members.

Their paths crossed again when he was doing a song deal with a famous rapper, and he noticed her in the crowd asking guards to let her in. He calls her, and while she talks to the rapper’s manager, he begins singing using the poetry from her diary. This leads Vaani to become his lyricist for a song.

They realised their love for each other, but destiny has some other plans. Krish is willing to give up everything to be with Vaani, but Vaani understands the importance of his dreams and what he would lose without them.

Due to this, she initially rejects his marriage proposal in the hospital when her mom asks Krish if he is serious about her or not. Later, when Vaani realises she may become an obstacle to his ambitions, she leaves without informing anyone.

But Krish doesn’t stop looking for her even after becoming a star.

What I Appreciate About Saiyaara

Before this, the concept of equality in love was explored in “Aap Jaisa Koi”, an OTT movie starring R Madhavan and Fatima Sana Sheikh. Now, Saiyaara has also portrayed it, which I find most compelling.

Equality in love means that one doesn’t need to do all the sacrifice; there is always a balance in reciprocation between two people.

Favourite Scene from Saiyaara

My favourite scene from the movie is when Krish accepts that he needs Vaani’s help to heal and come out of pain. It’s difficult for men to realise this, which is shown beautifully in the film.

Conclusion

Yes, Saiyaara deserves all the success because the actors are good, the story makes sense, and amidst the horde of meaningless loud songs, its music is a breath of fresh air.

After Ranveer and Anushka, this is the biggest launch of new actors in Bollywood through YRF. However, I respect other people’s sentiments and don’t want to comment on people’s reactions in theatres, which I saw in London too.