Saiyaara storms past Rs 5 billion worldwide: How Mohit Suri’s debutant love story conquered Bollywood

The Saiyaara phenomenon continues to grow. The worldwide haul surpassed the monumental Rs 500 crore mark, and the film, starring newcomers, Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda, has hit Rs 304.6 on its home turf. It has also overtaken none other than Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2018 epic Padmaavat, a film that featured the p trio Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, and Shahid Kapoor — which earned ₹302.15 crore domestically.

Tuesday saw Saiyaara inch up with Rs Rs .5 crore in collections, slightly better than Monday’s Rs 2.35 crore, showing the film’s remarkable staying power. Next up in its sights is Kabir Khan’s blockbuster Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), which it is poised to surpass by the weekend, cementing Saiyaara’s status as a box office titan.

So, what’s the reason behind Saiyaara’s success?

When Mohit Suri directs, you know it’s going to be emotional rollercoaster. This time, he’s outdone himself with a love story that’s got everyone reaching for tissues and tickets. Literally.

Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda received much praise for their spark, the awkward charm, and the kind of chemistry that makes you believe in love again. Debutants hitting Rs 500 crore? Now that’s a plot twist nobody saw coming. It has been a while since Bollywood saw a love story making such an impact.

Saiyaara didn’t explode overnight. It simmered and grew, and word of mouth turned this film into the talk of the town. Sometimes, slow and steady really does win the race. Despite hitting just around 1,750 screens—far fewer than star-studded blockbusters like Housefull 5 (5,000 screens), Raid 2, or Sitaare Zameen Par (both on 3,000 screens)—Saiyaara kept pace with the box office giants Jawan, Pathaan, Stree 2, Chhaava, and Animal.

You can’t forget a Mohit Suri film without humming its tunes for days. Saiyaara’s music grabbed hearts and refused to let go — which means fans kept coming back, soundtrack on repeat. When you have composers such as Mithoon, Sachet-Parampara, Vishal Mishra, Faheem Abdullah, and Tanishk Bagchi, you know it's a soundtrack worth remembering.

Perhaps, this is what Bollywood fans needed desperately. A fresh love story, filled with some yearning. And, Saiyaara, seems to have delivered, going by the infinite reactions, tweets and praises. It serves fresh, relatable romance that’s modern but still hits all the notes. It’s clearly the love story this generation’s been waiting for, and they’re showing up in droves.

The production giant Yash Raj Films proudly declared Saiyaara the highest-grossing love story in Indian cinema history, a bold statement, especially coming from the banner that launched the legendary Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in 1995.

YRF’s official statement summed up the historic success: “With Saiyaara, Mohit Suri hits his first Rs 500 crore worldwide blockbuster, and Ahaan and Aneet become the first debutants in Indian cinema history to enter the ₹500 crore club. The total overseas gross now stands at a staggering ₹507 crore in just 18 days.”

They continued, “As a company, we celebrate this milestone with Mohit Suri, who has delivered a defining love story for this generation; the incredible debutants Ahaan and Aneet, whose performances made audiences worldwide fall in love on screen; Aditya Chopra for his unwavering guidance; the entire Saiyaara cast and crew; and everyone at YRF who contributed to turning this film into a global phenomenon.”