Watch: Why Saiyaara is a sleeper super hit? Too Much, Aap Jaisa Koi & Nagesh Kukunoor's The Hunt
One second you're in love. The next? You're trending. Welcome to the season of the anti-climax, where every high has a twist that knocks the wind out of your feels.
In this week's episode of FOMO Fix, Sudhish Kamath dissects four buzzy new titles that explore what happens when romance doesn't go according to script:
Saiyaara – Mohit Suri's surprise box office hit starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda brings back the Rockstar-style heartbreak, but with a Gen Z pulse.
Too Much – Lena Dunham returns with a hilarious takedown of rom-com expectations in this brutally honest Brit love story.
Aap Jaisa Koi – R. Madhavan and Fatima Sana Shaikh explore mismatched love, secrets, and second chances in this offbeat rom-com.
The Hunt – Nagesh Kukunoor delivers a gripping account of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case in this razor-sharp thriller based on true events.
Stay till the end for a sneak peek of Sudhish's exclusive interview with Nagesh Kukunoor on why you should watch The Hunt.
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News18
an hour ago
- News18
Saiyaara Is NOT A Copy, Writer Of Ahaan Panday's Film Says 'Watch And Judge For Yourself'
Last Updated: Saiyaara follows the love story of Krish Kapoor-Vaani Batra. Their lives take unexpected turns as love, ambition and societal pressures clash in this emotionally charged romance. Ever since Saiyaara hit theatres, reports of Ahaan Panday's debut movie being a copy of the Korean classic A Moment To Remember have also been making headlines. However, the writer of the film, Sankalp Sadanah, has now clarified that Mohit Suri directorial is not a copy of any movie. Saiyaara Is Not A Copy Of A Korean Movie In a recent interview with trade analyst Komal Nahta, Sankalp clarified that Saiyaara is not a copy of any other pre-existing work. 'Honestly, so much has already been said about this. All I can say is—the Korean film is out there, and so is Saiyaara. Watch both and judge for yourself. You'll be able to tell whether it's inspired, a copy, or an original," he said. The writer further revealed that the core idea for Saiyaara emerged during a casual meeting with Mohit Suri. 'It was raining when we came back from a meeting. As I was about to leave, Mohit asked me to stay back and listen to something. He shared an idea and asked me if it was worth building into a film," he recalled. 'That discussion gave birth to the core of Saiyaara. At that time, there was no story, no screenplay—just a feeling. The seed of the film came from a single emotional thought, a line that appears in the film: 'A hit song isn't the one that stays in your head; it's the one that stays in your heart.' That was the emotion we built everything else around," Sankalp added. What Does Saiyaara Revolve Around? Directed by Mohit Suri and produced by Yash Raj Films, Saiyaara follows the love story of Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday), a dreamer who wants to become a singing sensation, and Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda), an aspiring journalist. Their lives take unexpected turns as love, ambition, and societal pressures clash in this emotionally charged romance. Interestingly, in A Moment To Remember too, a woman develops early-onset Alzheimer's disease and slowly begins to forget her husband. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Saiyaara star Ahaan Panday's gesture for Aneet Padda during outing sparks romance buzz, fans say: ‘Definitely dating'
Saiyaara stars Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda are taking the internet by storm with their on-screen chemistry. The actors were recently spotted together in Mumbai, where a sweet moment sparked dating rumours – Ahaan offered to hold Aneet's hand, and she playfully seemed coy about it. Fans are now wondering if the reel romance is translating to real-life love. Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday are in the spotlight after the success of Mohit Suri's romantic drama Saiyaara. Ahaan and Aneet step out together Ahaan and Aneet were spotted together in Mumbai for the first time since their film's massive success. A video of them together has emerged on social media, showing the duo on a shopping outing. Aneet and Ahaan are seen leaving a luxury brand's showroom in a mall, which seems to be in Mumbai. Ahaan's mother, Deanne Panday, accompanied the duo. Aneet and Ahaan seemed to be trying to keep a low profile as they were seen wearing face masks. They were surrounded by their security personnel as they left the store. For the outing, Ahaan kept it casual in a black jacket and light blue jeans, while Aneet opted for a sky-blue shirt paired with denim. The moment caught everyone's attention on social media. Ahaan extended his arm towards Aneet as a gesture inviting her to hold onto it as they walked out of the showroom. However, Aneet, who seemed aware of the public gaze, didn't hold the hand. The moment has caught everyone's attention, making fans wonder if they are actually dating. Fans react to Ahaan's gesture for Aneet 'He wanted to hold her hand,' one wrote, with another sharing, 'Yup, they are dating !!!!! Not sure why I'm happy for a couple that has no idea who I am.' One social media user commented, 'They're definitely dating,' while another commented, 'We want to see them together on-screen again — the chemistry is unreal!" 'Cuties together,' wrote a third fan. Other comments read: 'So cute together', 'Made for each other, no Nazar (evil eye) to them', and 'Aww… he thought she would hold his hand.' About Ahaan and Aneet's Saiyaara Ahaan and Aneet have come into the spotlight after the release and success of the film Saiyaara. The Mohit Suri directorial has emerged as the biggest romantic film ever in Indian cinema despite starring newcomers in the lead roles. Released on July 18, the film has crossed the ₹500 crore mark at the worldwide box office. While Saiyaara marked Ahaan's debut in Bollywood, Aneet had earlier featured in the film Salaam Venky (2022), which also starred Kajol. She also worked on the web show Big Girls Don't Cry, which was released in 2024 on Amazon Prime Video. However, it is Saiyaara's success that has made both of them overnight stars. The film tells the story of a struggling and troubled musician, Krissh Kapoor, who meets an aspiring journalist and a poet, Vaani Batra.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
The real horror in Dhadak 2 isn't the killer, it's us
When you read my byline — Jyothi Jha — you might immediately assume I'm Hindu. My last name goes a step further: I am a Brahmin, more specifically, a Maithil Brahmin. Coincidentally, that's the same identity as Triptii Dimri's character in Dhadak 2. If you go deeper, you'll discover we both even belong to the Bharadwaj gotra — a shared ancestral lineage that binds people as siblings without any blood relation. That's how layered, intricate, and deeply entrenched caste classification is in our society. While Dhadak 2 centers its narrative around caste-based discrimination against those from marginalised communities, it also holds up a mirror for those of us born into privilege. It reminds us — or perhaps forces us to finally see — how unaware, protected, and detached we have been from these realities. One of the most powerful scenes features Shekhar (Priyank Tiwari) — a senior student from the same community as the protagonist, Neelesh Ahirwar (played by Siddhant Chaturvedi). During a college debate on reservations, Shekhar addresses his upper-caste peers: 'Tumhare dada school gaye the? (Did your grandfather go to school?)' 'Haan (Yes).' 'Aur tumhare papa? (And your dad?)' 'Haan (Yes, he too).' 'Aur tum toh padh hi rahe ho (And you too are in college).' 'Toh? (Yeah, so?)' 'Toh main apne parivaar ka pehla hoon jisne college dekha hai. Isliye fellowship zaroori hai. (So the point is I am the first person from my family to be admitted in a college and this is why we need fellowship.)' This moment isn't just a rebuttal. It's a reality check. One that explains the logic — and more importantly, the necessity — behind reservations in education and employment. For many from the 'general' category, the existence of quotas feels like an infringement on merit. But for someone like Neelesh, even reaching a college seat is an act of generational resistance. ALSO READ | Dhadak 2 movie review: After Saiyaara, the passion in Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi's feels performative Casteism in Dhadak 2 doesn't stop at academic inequality — it turns violent. When Vidisha Bharadwaj aka Vidhi (Triptii Dimri) invites her boyfriend Neelesh to her sister's wedding, her cousin — Ronnie (Saad Bilgrami), who's also their law college classmate — is enraged. He not only physically assaults Neelesh, he urinates on him. A deliberate, humiliating act meant to 'show him his place.' And what is Neelesh's crime? That he dared to love someone from an 'upper caste'. But does the blame only rest with Ronnie? Or is he merely a vessel of the entitlement and prejudice fed to him since childhood? This film forced me to look back at my own childhood. Every summer, my family would visit our hometown in Bihar. There, the women who came to help at home would remove their slippers about 50 metres away, on the road. Concerned, the younger me would say, 'Aunty, someone will steal your chappals, you'll get hurt!' They would smile gently and walk barefoot into the house. One day, one of them was hungry. She plucked a leaf from our garden, and my grandmother — who adored her — placed some puffed rice on it. The woman sat outside and quietly ate. I was fascinated. I copied her: I plucked a leaf, sat next to her, and ate puffed rice. Everyone laughed. At the time, as a child, I thought 'aunty' is a little dim. Years later, I understood how caste was responsible. The domestic help wasn't allowed to wear shoes inside or eat with us. Not because she didn't have a place in our home, but because centuries of conditioninh dictated that 'lower caste' meant 'lower worth.' She was taught to remove shoes before entering an 'upper caste' house and we hid behind an ancient practice. After all those years, safe in my bubble of privilige like Vidisha, I too once believed caste discrimination was a thing of the past or something that only happened in villages. Until, during my internship at a top media house, I admired a video producer's work and asked for her number. Out of habit, I asked for her surname. She immediately replied, 'Why? You want to know my caste?' ALSO READ | Dhadak 2: Shazia Iqbal destroys ancient Bollywood Dharma in the best Karan Johar production since Jigra I was stunned, and perhaps a little hurt because I never thought like that; my identity ensured I didn't have to. I still can't identify caste by surname. But in that moment, I saw her guarded response and her pain, which made a basic question feel like an attack. In the film, when Vidisha hears Neelesh's story, she says, 'Mujhe lagta tha yeh sab saalo pehle hota tha (I thought this was a thing of the past).' To which Neelesh replies: 'Jinke saath nahi hota, unko aisa hi lagta hai Vidhi (The ones who don't go through it, think the same).' It hit me like a slap. How casually we flaunt our names. How blind we are to what that name might mean for someone else. Something, very beautifully shown by director Shazia Iqbal, when Neelesh hesitates to introduce himself by his second name in a class full of upper caste students. He says, 'Neelesh BA LLB', becoming a target of ragging. The film doesn't stop at caste. It exposes bias against art, gender, and freedom, something we also saw in Karan Johar's last directorial Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. Neelesh's father (Vipin Sharma) is a cross-dressing folk dancer, for which he is ridiculed as a 'nachaniya (a demeaning word for a dancer).' After he gets ragged at college for his profession and caste, he tells a mad Neelesh: 'Mujhe dance karna tha, main lada. Tu kyun lad raha hai? (I liked to dance, I fought for it. What is your fight for?)' The implication: you don't have to suffer like I did. But Neelesh is fighting not just for art — he's fighting to exist with dignity. The film subtly also shows the gender discrimination within the same family, which is very common to find in Indian homes–irrespective of the caste or status. Sometimes unknowingly, when they say, 'Ladkiya itne zor se nahi bolti (Girls don't talk so loud)' or 'Toh kya hogaya woh ladka hai (So what? He is a boy!)' Acts of misogyny, carefully wrapped as advice by elders that you are not supposed to question, only follow. Vidisha and Ronnie are both educated, from the same family. But while Ronnie is protected, Vidisha is policed. Her questions are judged and her choices are monitored. Ronnie, spurred by toxic masculinity, is ready to kill Neelesh. His justification? 'Ghar ki izzat (Family's honour).' While his father encourages him, Vidisha's father, while clearly uncomfortable, also gives in. His only advice to Neelesh: 'Beta, Vidisha se door raho. Warna yeh tumhe maar denge (Son, please stay away from Vidisha. If not, they will kill you).' A silent surrender. From a man who knows this is wrong, but has no voice in his own family (despite being the head of the family) — just because he's father to a daughter. In other families, the reasons differ. The film also has another character Shankar (Saurabh Sachdeva), a self-appointed gatekeeper of caste 'purity.' He kills two inter-caste couples — first, a lower-caste boy who loves an upper-caste girl. Then, the upper-caste girl who refuses to leave her partner. His next target is Neelesh. When paid for the work, he gets offended. 'Mai criminal nahi hu, yeh toh punya ka kaam hai (I am not a criminal. This is work of charity).' Neelesh survives and fights back, because it's a Dharma film — and this time, the hero doesn't die. Watching Shankar reminded me of every relative and family elder who believes it's their job to police love, control women, and define 'izzat'. They are the ones who say, 'Ladki ko itni chhoot mat do. (Do not give so much freedom to girls)'. They are the ones who measure a family's honour by a daughter's silence. They are the ones who shame a father for educating his girl — and then blame him when she dares to live freely. The most haunting moment of the film is not a murder. It's a scream. Triptii Dimri, who exceptionally lives the character screams when her uncle brings a pistol to shoot Neelesh after he escapes Shankar's clutches. That scream was not of fear, but frustration. It doesn't belong to Vidisha alone — it is the voice of every girl told to obey, every boy told to 'be a man,' every queer child mocked for how they express themselves, every lower-caste student made to feel they don't belong, every artist shamed, and every parent silenced. It is the scream of a society that's had enough. Enough judgment. Enough shame. Enough violence. Jyothi Jha works as a Copy Editor at the Indian Express. She brings in more than 5 years of experience where she has covered Entertainment majorly for TV9, NDTV and Republic Media. Apart from Entertainment, she has been an anchor, copy editor and managed production team under the Politics and Daily News segment. She's passionate about Journalism and it has always been her first choice, she believes in what George Orwell had once said, " Journalism is printing what someone else does not want you to do, rest everything is public relations". ... Read More
