Movie Review: Saiyaara - the love story we needed

A still from 'Saiyaara' / 'Saiyaara' Theatrical Poster

A review by Akshita G.

Starring: Ahaan Panday & Aneet Padda

Presented by: Aditya Chopra

Director: Mohit Suri

Producer: Akshaye Widhani

Director of Photography: Vikas Sivaraman

Story And Screenplay: Sankalp Sadanah

Dialogues: Rohan Shankar

Music: Mithoon, Sachet-Parampara, Rishabh Kant, Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, Arslan Nizami

Lyrics: Irshad Kamil, Mithoon, Rishabh Kant, Raj Shekhar

Editors: Devendra Murdeshwar, Rohit Makwana

Director of Choreography: Vijay A Ganguly

''A much-needed, refreshing change''. This was my first thought after watching this film. Saiyaara - a young love story - comes to us in challenging times, not only cinematically, but also in a broader sense of what reality looks like these days. As Hindi cinema audiences grow weary of cookie-cutter action films or South Indian film remakes, it is almost healing to see Hindi cinema revert to its roots with a love story of this magnitude.

What makes this movie such a draw is the coming together of two creative powerhouses in the form of Mohit Suri and Aditya Chopra, who have almost polar opposite takes on love.

Mohit Suri (director of Saiyaara) can be knighted for single-handedly giving an entire generation second-hand heartbreak through his films. This wound would only cut deeper with the heart-aching music that accompanied them. He has been able to do this time and time again through movies such as Zeher (2005), Awaarapan (2007), Kalyug (2005), Woh Lamhe (2006), the biggest one being Aashiqui 2 (2013). Mohit Suri’s brand of filmmaking is drenched in tragedy - deep, passionate love that is only cut short by some sort of injustice, either external to the couple or caused by them. His stories have had the power to leave gaping holes in all our hearts as we exited the theaters, only to relive the pain all over again on our way back, playing his music on loop.

On the other hand, we have Aditya Chopra (presenter of this movie), who has his own brand and take on love. HE single-handedly made an entire generation believe that all you have to do to find love was to go take a trip on the Euro Rail. Aditya Chopra’s view on love is rooted in hope. His characters, while regular people, find love in the most fantastical ways. A love that is grand yet accessible, as he showcases in movies like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) (1995), Mohabbatein (2000), and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008).

When these two sensibilities come together, it gives us Saiyaara - an achingly beautiful love story that will leave you with hope and a renewed belief in love.

We are introduced to the world of Saiyaara through Vaani’s (Aneet Padda) point of view. She is a simple girl who loves deeply, to the extent that it pours out of her in poetry every time she feels an ounce of it. Certain circumstances result in heartbreak, leading her directly to our male protagonist, Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday), the lead singer of an up-and-coming indie band. It is through Vaani that we see Krish — a man with passion (often showing itself through anger) and intense vulnerability. Krish is an angry man, to the extent that he resorts to violence within 60 seconds of being introduced in the film. But just before he hulks out, he shares a brief moment with Vaani that is inundated with softness and admiration (in his own way). This is a story about unconditional love, a selfless love that, in this day and age, almost seems too good to be true and can be seen as foolish, something the characters around our two leads do not hesitate to vocalize their reservations about. Nonetheless, Vaani and Krish persist. With twists and turns that are in a signature Mohit Suri style, we follow Vaani and Krish on their journey of finding love and discovering their true selves.

A Still from 'Saiyaara'

The first half of the film is slightly weak (in comparison) - this is the half that the movie (unintentionally) seems to be from Vaani’s perspective. The film finds its true roots and strengths in the second half, packing a punch with solid performances and the album's best tracks (this half is unintentionally from Krish’s perspective).

Sankalp Sadanah has written Vaani and Krish as classic opposites that complement each other, making each better. The two leads have played their parts with sheer aplomb. While Krish gets a more fleshed-out arc and growth, we don’t see the same level of nuance for Vaani.

Still from 'Saiyaara'

Aneet Padda is a phenomenal talent who shines like the sun in scenes that allow her to showcase her talent with raw emotion and pain. Unfortunately, there is a sense of disservice done to her character because these scenes are fewer than needed; perhaps having a female perspective or creative leadership in the filmmaking process could have helped address this issue. I say this because it is abundantly evident that there is no lack of talent on her part. After all, if that were true, the most brutal scenes of the movie wouldn’t have had the same impact that they did. A brief mention of her Hindi Literature degree was a nice touch, providing context for why a Gen Z individual might use certain words or write exclusively in Hindi. Perhaps just a scene or two to explore more about her would have given that final level of depth needed.

Still from 'Saiyaara'

Ahaan Panday, on the other hand, has been given more nuance. He is presented to us as the next leading man for Hindi cinema, getting the whole nine yards - breathtakingly shot in slow motion while he is introduced smoking a cigarette, his hair flying as he takes the mike to serenade his love, casually roping Vaani to himself with his sweatshirt as he drives off his motorcycle with audacious abandon, beating up the bad guy, you name it! And this all works and how! He plays Krish with an ease and restraint that would even stump established actors. He is brilliant in dramatic and emotional scenes, showing incredible restraint, love, and pain all through his eyes, which he lets bleed into the scene effortlessly. A good actor knows how to take his director’s notes on a scene and perform. Something that truly stood out about Ahaan’s performance was his ability to incorporate microexpressions—a talent very uncommon even among seasoned actors, as these cannot be taught, but instead go beyond the director’s notes. In a scene where every expression is pronounced and performative, microexpressions (a slight movement of the eyes, a flickering hint of a smile, the very slow replacement of emotions on one’s face) make all the difference between a good and an outstanding performance. Of course, he is not without areas for improvement - given that this is his first-ever camera experience, scoring 100/100 would mean peaking too early! In the first half, lip syncing and speech clarity during his ‘yelling’ scenes could have been polished.

The true mark of a great love story lies in the crackling chemistry between its leads. It is the kind that makes you believe in their love, feel their longing, and lose yourself in every lingering glance. Despite being newcomers, or maybe it is lights up the screen because of their fresh camera presence, Ahaan and Aneet bring a raw, unfiltered freshness to both their performances and the shared connection between their characters, making their on-screen romance feel irresistibly real, as if they’re falling in love for the very first time, right before our eyes.

In signature Mohit Suri fashion, the music of Saiyaara doesn't just accompany the story; it breathes through it. Each song captures either the raw ache of Krish’s inner storm or the tender cadence of love. The album blazes with emotion, but it’s the title track that lingers - haunting, unforgettable, like a feeling you can’t name but can’t let go.

It was an impressively bold move by the filmmakers to entrust stark newcomers with such an intense love story while also trying to give Hindi cinema its next lot of ‘stars’. This speaks only to the two leads’ talent and capabilities, backed by the unabashed belief of two filmmaking stalwarts. Saiyaara is the latest proof that conviction (in your talent, actors, and story) is all it takes to make a beloved film.

This movie either works for you, or just doesn't - there is no in-between.

Saiyaara is a Mohit Suri product in Aditya Chopra's packaging, giving you the best of both worlds. What could possibly be better than that?