Director Mohit Suri opted for an unconventional strategy for his latest film, *Saiyaara*, deliberately keeping its lead debutantes, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, out of the promotional limelight.
A Deliberate Absence
Unlike typical film promotions, you won’t see Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, the stars of Mohit Suri’s *Saiyaara*, hitting the press circuit. This wasn’t an oversight or a scheduling conflict. Instead, it was a carefully planned decision by the filmmakers.
In a recent interview, Suri explained that this unique approach was a collective idea. He consulted with producer Akshaye Widhani and industry mentor Aditya Chopra before deciding against traditional media appearances for the new faces.
Beyond “Redundant Stuff”
Mohit Suri believes that for fresh talent, early media interactions can often be unproductive. He pointed out that conversations tend to revolve around superficial topics, like on-set pranks or working with the director, which offer little of substance.
“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?’… It’s all redundant stuff, and I don’t think anyone has any interest in listening to all that,” Suri stated.
The goal was to avoid pre-release hype based on their personalities or looks. Instead, they wanted the audience to connect with the actors solely through their performances once the film was released.
The Aashiqui 2 Blueprint
This isn’t a new experiment for Mohit Suri. He revealed that he successfully employed a similar tactic for *Aashiqui 2*, which launched Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor into stardom. During that film’s production, the actors remained largely unrecognized.
Suri recounted a pivotal moment: while flying back from Chandigarh, before *Aashiqui 2*’s first show premiered, Shraddha and Aditya were still unknown to many. However, upon landing, after the film had begun screening, they were suddenly mobbed by fans and the flight crew.
This dramatic shift in recognition, driven purely by their on-screen performances, confirmed Suri’s belief in the strategy. He emphasized that the audience’s connection came from what they *saw* in the film, not from external promotion.
Is the Strategy Paying Off?
While Aditya and Shraddha weren’t completely unknown prior to *Aashiqui 2*, the controlled promotional strategy clearly worked wonders for their film. With *Saiyaara* now generating buzz and showing strong advance booking numbers, it appears Suri’s unconventional method might be hitting the mark once again.
- Mohit Suri’s *Saiyaara* intentionally kept its lead actors Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda out of promotional events.
- The strategy aims to prevent superficial interviews and allow audiences to connect with performances first.
- This tactic was previously successful for Suri’s *Aashiqui 2*, which launched Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor.
- The goal is for actors to be recognized for their work, not just pre-release media appearances.
