Bollywood debuts often ride on excessive hype, viral PR stunts and a flurry of media appearances. In such times, Mohit Suri directorial ‘Saiyaara’ has done the unthinkable by delivering the fourth biggest opener of 2025 and with none of the usual noise. Featuring fresh faces Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, ‘Saiyaara’ stormed the box office with a Rs 20 crore opening day collection, placing it right behind Chhaava, Sikandar and Housefull 5.
The romantic drama, backed by Yash Raj Films, was expected to open modestly with some industry predictions hovering around just Rs 1.5–2 crore. But Saiyaara flipped all expectations.
So, what turned a quiet debut into a box office storm?
The music, for starters. The film’s title track, written by Irshad Kamil and composed by Tanishk Bagchi, Arslan Nizami and Faheem Abdullah (who also sang it), became a viral sensation. Instagram reels were soon flooded with fans lip-syncing and dancing to the tune. This reach turned ‘Saiyaara’ into an event before it hit the screens.
But perhaps the bigger masterstroke was what ‘Saiyaara’ didn’t do. YRF and Mohit Suri made a conscious decision to keep Ahaan and Aneet away from the promotional circus. The team apparently decided that the lead pair will do no chat shows, no paparazzi coffee runs and certainly no mall dances. Instead, they let the film’s music and visual promos do the talking.
Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta was also impressed by the silent marketing strategy. “So whoever took the decision at YRF to keep the lead pair of Saiyaara away from all the pre release interviews, appearances and podcasts is a genius. They kept alive the freshness exclusively for the big screen. And look at how it’s worked,” he posted on X.
Strategic call pays off
In an interview with Just Too Filmy, Suri revealed this was a strategic call taken in consultation with producer Akshaye Widhani and YRF head Aditya Chopra. “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 set?’ or ‘How is it working with Mohit Suri?’ It’s all redundant stuff,” Suri said.
The strategy harks back to his earlier hit Aashiqui 2, where newcomers Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor were also kept out of the limelight pre-release. Suri recalled that while the actors were anonymous before the release, they became overnight sensations based purely on audience love, not promotional overload. “They weren’t being praised for their looks or pushed by PR, but for what the audience saw and connected with,” he said.
With ‘Saiyaara’, the formula has clicked once again. In an industry obsessed with creating buzz before substance, it looks like Mohit Suri and YRF has reminded everyone that sometimes, less really is more.
As the weekend ends, all eyes are now on whether ‘Saiyaara’ can sustain its momentum. But one thing’s for sure: the film has already done what few debuts manage to do.