Is Ahaan Panday's 'Saiyaara' copied from Korean film 'A Moment To Remember? We dive into Bollywood's movie making pattern

Dubai: A few weeks ago, I was offered an interview with a major Bollywood superstar. The film in question was a heartwarming drama — a feel-good project that hit all the right emotional notes. But there was a catch. A firm diktat from the film’s publicity team made it clear: we were not, under any circumstances, to mention that the movie bore a striking resemblance to not one, but two earlier works — a Spanish hit and a beloved Hollywood classic. Even the slightest hint would mean the interview would be scrapped. No access. No coverage.

This was one of Indian cinema’s most erudite and cerebral stars — someone who’s long cultivated a reputation for being accessible and authentic. So the attempt to sanitise the conversation felt jarring. Still, a decision was made to go ahead.

It’s this very culture of calculated denial that makes the Saiyaara situation feel so familiar — and so frustrating.

Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara, starring debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, opened to a spectacular box office run and generated a fair amount of online buzz. But not long after the first screening, social media sleuths started doing what they do best — connecting the dots. It didn’t take long for fans to spot the glaring similarities between Saiyaara and the 2004 South Korean tearjerker A Moment to Remember.

Both films revolve around a fiery, emotionally guarded man who falls for a soft-spoken, sincere woman. Love blooms, tragedy strikes, and the emotional arc unravels in the wake of early-onset Alzheimer’s.

From the meet-cute to the memory loss, the story structure feels like déjà vu for anyone familiar with the Korean classic. Netizens were quick to spot the alleged resemblance.

“So #Saiyaara is a copy of this Korean film! Mohit Suri has barely made any original film.”“Yes, totally copy of A Moment to Remember. Even the emotional beats are identical.”

And yet, nowhere in the promotions, credits, or PR blurbs has there been any mention of it being “inspired by” or “adapted from” the Korean film. Instead, the audience is asked to consume it as a fresh, Bollywood original — a romantic tragedy straight from Suri’s signature tear-stained universe.

Let’s be fair: Saiyaara isn’t the worst offender. The film is decently made, Ahaan and Aneet are genuinely trying to rise above the limitations of a predictable script, and Mohit Suri’s brand of emotional melodrama still finds takers. But the issue isn’t whether Saiyaara is well-made. It’s the absolute unwillingness of the industry to acknowledge its influences.

Bollywood has long had a complicated relationship with “inspiration.” Whether it’s Kaante channeling Reservoir Dogs, Zinda lifting heavily from Oldboy, or even recent romantic dramas echoing K-dramas scene-for-scene — the trend isn’t new. But in 2025, when global cinema is just a scroll away, when audiences watch Korean dramas on streaming and dissect plotlines on social media — pretending no one will notice feels disingenuous at best, manipulative at worst.

Mohit Suri’s own filmography isn’t without its “influences.” Murder 2 bore similarities to The Chaser. Ek Villain reminded many of I Saw the Devil. So when Saiyaara echoes a much-loved Korean romance, audiences aren’t just noticing — they’re holding filmmakers accountable.

This is not a call to cancel Bollywood for borrowing. Great stories are meant to be retold. But credit matters. Transparency matters. And trust — with the audience — really matters.

If the film is genuinely inspired by A Moment to Remember, why not say so? Why the silence? Why the PR tap-dancing? The audience is smarter than ever — and yet Bollywood clings to the idea that sweeping inspiration under the rug makes it disappear.

It doesn’t.

Saiyaara could have been a respectful adaptation — a homage to a film that moved millions. But by pretending it’s entirely original, it now sits in the grey zone: too similar to be coincidence, too unacknowledged to be tribute.

And just like that superstar’s PR team who refused to let us ask the obvious question — the silence says more than a credit ever could.