Mohit Suri’s latest musical romance, “Saiyaara,” finds its most poignant moments in a final act that brilliantly channels the classic emotional depth and character choices often seen in an Aditya Chopra film.
A Familiar Ache
There’s a unique, cathartic feeling in the final acts of Aditya Chopra’s romances. His characters make tangled, often baffling choices when love is on the line, seemingly defying logic but landing with profound emotional weight. This sensation of an improbable happy ending settling deep within the viewer is a hallmark of his cinema.
Watching the conclusion of “Saiyaara,” starring Ahaan Panday as Krish and Aneet Padda as Vaani, evoked this very feeling. For a significant portion, the audience was captivated, experiencing a cinematic moment that felt both intensely personal and deeply familiar to the best of Chopra’s world.
Finding Its Own Beat
It’s important to note that “Saiyaara” isn’t flawless throughout. Much of its initial narrative feels predictably Mohit Suri, with familiar genre beats and character arcs. The film truly hits its stride only when Suri lets go of his usual stylistic habits and embraces the essence of his producer, Aditya Chopra, a master of the romance genre.
The post-interval shift in the film marks a significant change. It moves away from the typical “sad-boy, vulnerable girl” dynamic of the first half, opting instead for something more vibrant and courageous, aligning with Chopra’s cinematic legacy.
A New Kind of Hero
What Mohit Suri does with Krish in the latter half of the film is subtly radical. Krish transforms not into a brooding, hardened archetype, but into a tender “soft boy.” He’s portrayed as gentle, patient, and emotionally articulate, even willing to sideline his career for the woman he loves.
This portrayal of masculinity is refreshing, built on care, sensitivity, and winning hearts through empathy rather than dominance or performative angst. It mirrors the emotional intelligence championed by Aditya Chopra since films like “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” where heroes don’t need to shout or fight to be worthy; they simply need to feel fully and unashamedly.
Love, Fate, and Free Will
“Saiyaara” doesn’t suggest abandoning ambition for love, but rather a reordering of priorities. It subtly argues that true love is about presence, not sacrifice. This kind of emotional clarity has been noticeably absent from mainstream romantic leads for too long, making its return under Chopra’s influence fitting.
A key element of Chopra’s work is the delicate interplay between fate and free will. Much like his characters in “Mohabbatein” who push against destiny only to be drawn back into alignment, Suri’s characters in “Saiyaara” also dance with the invisible forces of fate. They make choices that seem impossible, yet destiny guides them back towards love.
Echoes of Classic Romance
While the star-crossed lovers trope is ancient, Chopra’s approach is distinct. His characters navigate moral and spiritual storms, often making choices that, on paper, should destroy their chances of union. Yet, through sheer conviction, these choices lead them directly to love.
This is precisely what unfolds in the final moments of “Saiyaara.” Unlike a typical Mohit Suri film that might lean into despair, here, a happy ending is fought for, not simply given. It exists because the characters believe in it and push through the inertia of fate to meet it halfway. And fate, in true Chopra style, rewards such defiant purity.
The film’s strongest parallel might be with Chopra’s “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.” Just as Suri (Shah Rukh Khan) goes to great lengths to be truly seen by Taani, Krish in “Saiyaara” goes all out for Vaani, becoming a rockstar in the process. In both films, art becomes the medium of connection, showing that love isn’t handed down but earned through genuine expression.
- “Saiyaara’s” climax captures the emotional depth of classic Aditya Chopra romances.
- The film excels when it embraces Chopra’s vision over Mohit Suri’s usual style.
- Krish’s “soft boy” transformation redefines mainstream romantic masculinity.
- Love in the film is about presence and reordering priorities, not sacrifice.
- The narrative explores the interplay of fate and free will, a key Chopra theme.
- The film parallels “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi” in its portrayal of love earned through artistic expression.
This revival of heartfelt, emotionally intelligent romance feels like a significant moment, reminding audiences of cinema’s power to make us believe in unlikely love stories once more.
