Saiyaara tu toh, badla nahin hai

Mausam zara sa rootha hua hai.

Growing up listening to Hindi music, internalising the lyrics and breathing the tunes, I never thought I would be crying through much of 2025’s hottest new cinematic release – Saiyaara.

Featuring the debut of Ahaan Pandey (I know, I thought he would be just another nepo baby too) and the big screen debut of Aneet Padda (cue Big Girls Don’t Cry), Saiyaara is essentially Mohit Suri’s ode to his superhit Aashiqui 2. Some might call it Aashiqui 3.

Keep in mind there are going to be mild spoilers ahead (though I’ll try to avoid the main plot twists and reveals) as I try to pen down my thoughts after 2.5 hours in the cinema hall.

——————— Here we go ——————————-

Set amidst the hustle and bustle of Mumbai – the City of Dreams – Saiyaara follows the interwoven paths of Krish Kapoor (Pandey) and Vaani Batra (Padda) as they try to make their respective marks in the competitive world of playback singing and music composition in India’s commercial capital. For Krish, the lure of fame and success is what keeps him going, but ill discipline, anger issues, and an alcoholic father drag him down and keep his angry young man persona alive and well. For Vaani, a failed relationship and a sheltered upbringing keep her grounded and away from fame, but she soon begins to open up as her world collides with Krish’s search for his next big hit. Writer meets singer/musician, and their stars begin to shift as the two youngsters learn how to spread their wings and soar on a current of musical passion and mutual growth.

One thing that struck me almost in the beginning of this film was the soundtrack. Honestly, in any Mohit Suri film (think Aawarapan, Aashiqui 2, or Ek Villain), the music has always been his strongest selling point, and Saiyaara is no less a diamond in this realm. With nearly 10 hard-hitting songs that Hindi music lovers will find themselves belting along with for weeks to follow and lyrics that make your heart ache, this soundtrack steers the plot with finesse, adding depth and dimensionality to a (surprisingly) riveting plot (if you’ve seen Ek Villain, you understand my reservations going into the film).

Second, the cast. Ahaan and Aneet are raw, real, and equipped with excellent Hindi diction. Words cannot express how grateful I am to not have to hear the grating notes of the SoBo accent that has accompanied nearly every nepo baby’s debut thus far these past few years (as a SoBo girl, I’m more than qualified to comment upon this, so no backlash, please!). Both leads impressed me almost immediately with their enunciation, pronounciation, and authenticity. Aneet shines as the shy outsider to a world of glitz and glam, a role perhaps all too familiar to her from her real life personality, while Ahaan shouts and storms his way through the first half and mellows into a well-rounded and softer version of the angry young man we cannot help but fall for.

I was riveted in 2013 when Aashiqui 2 swept Bollywood off its feet, its soundtrack with soulful numbers like Tum Hi Ho, Chahun Mein Ya Na, and Sunn Raha Hai Na Tu creating a veritable storm across the world. But today, 12 years later, I found myself using my sweater as a kerchief (no kerchief would have been enough to sponge up my tears tbh) and smiling as song after song, dialogue after dialogue, scene after scene made me fall in love with what Mohit Suri and Bollywood are capable of delivering with just a little dedication and honest, hard work.

To those who are sceptical of wasting hard earned money on a theatre ticket (as I was this morning), trust me, this is an emotional roller coaster you won’t want to miss. It is ABSOLUTELY worth the theatre experience, as the songs cannot be truly felt until you hear the audience around you cheering and crying along. I found myself beaming through tears and wishing I could pen lyrics like the ones rolling across the screen, and the entire car ride home, I was playing the title song Saiyaara on repeat (and at full volume, much to the detriment of my hearing). To those who don’t want to support nepo babies, take a chance on these two. Well, on Ahaan at least, because Aneet is hardly from a filmy background, and Ahaan puts forth a far stronger debut than any of his fellow nepo actors have managed in the past few years. Hard work and dedication has paid off in the case of these two, and they carry along a surprisingly riveting plot with ease beyond their years.

I left the theatre today with a full heart and empty tear ducts, unable to wipe the smile from my lips. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones in full swing, or maybe it was the musical treat that I had witnessed, but Saiyaara took me on a roller-coaster ride that I will be hard pressed to forget.

And no, I don’t write movie reviews often (or at all), so don’t expect such rants in the future on this blog. But somehow, somewhere, I wanted to pen down the thoughts that filled my mind after watching this film, and here we are.