Mohit Suri’s romantic drama “Saiyaara,” starring newcomers Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday, has emerged as an unexpected box office sensation, shattering records in its opening days.
A Stellar Box Office Start
On its second day, Saturday, “Saiyaara” collected an impressive Rs 24 crore. This figure is slightly higher than its opening day earnings of Rs 21 crore, showing strong momentum.
The film’s total domestic collection after just two days now stands at Rs 45 crore. Industry experts widely predict that “Saiyaara” will comfortably cross the Rs 50 crore mark by Sunday, indicating a significant run at the box office.
Leaving Rivals Behind
“Saiyaara” has quickly surpassed the lifetime earnings of several notable films in just two days. It has outperformed Rajkummar Rao’s “Maalik,” which earned Rs 23.27 crore, and Shahid Kapoor’s “Deva,” with Rs 33.97 crore.
The film also surged past Kajol’s “Maa” (Rs 38.51 crore) and John Abraham’s “The Diplomat” (Rs 40.73 crore). Looking ahead, “Saiyaara” is poised to overtake Anurag Basu’s “Metro… In Dino,” which has collected Rs 48.47 crore, very soon.
Romantic Comeback and Re-release Records
Beyond new releases, “Saiyaara” has also outgrossed the re-release numbers of popular romantic films. It surpassed Ayan Mukerji’s “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani,” which saw Rs 22.04 crore from its re-release, and Harshvardhan Rane’s “Sanam Teri Kasam,” which collected Rs 35.55 crore.
This strong performance suggests a renewed appetite among audiences for romantic dramas, signaling a potential comeback for the genre on the big screen.
The Unconventional Promotion Strategy
What makes “Saiyaara”‘s success particularly remarkable is that its lead actors, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, did not participate in any pre-release promotions. Director Mohit Suri deliberately chose this strategy, aiming to keep the pairing fresh for the audience.
Suri applied a similar tactic for his 2013 hit “Aashiqui 2.” He reasoned that he wanted to avoid typical, redundant promotional questions and let the film’s content and the new faces speak for themselves.
“Saiyaara” marks Ahaan Panday’s screen debut and Aneet Padda’s film debut, though Padda had previously garnered praise for her role in the Prime Video India series “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”
A Clear Path Ahead
The film’s strong start is further bolstered by a relatively clear schedule at the box office for the coming weeks. Major Bollywood competition, such as Ajay Devgn’s “Son of Sardaar 2,” has shifted its release date.
This provides “Saiyaara” with an extended window to maximize its earnings without direct competition, contributing to what could be a prolonged successful run.
- “Saiyaara” is a surprise box office hit, collecting Rs 45 crore in its first two days.
- It has surpassed the earnings of several major films and re-releases in a short span.
- The film achieved this success despite its lead newcomers not engaging in pre-release promotions.
- Its strong performance indicates a resurgence in audience interest for romantic dramas.
This unexpected triumph highlights the audience’s appetite for fresh stories and new faces, proving that compelling content can win big at the box office.
