Mohit Suri REACTS To Saiyaara's No-Promotion Strategy At News18 Townhall: 'Sell The Story, Not The Actors'
For Saiyaara, made under the Yash Raj Films banner, Mohit Suri and his team took a completely different promotional route — by not promoting it at all. In an age where film campaigns are relentless, the leads, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, weren't even seen together before release. Audiences walked into theatres to discover a completely fresh pairing.
Speaking at the CNN-News18 Townhall, Mumbai edition, Mohit Suri said this wasn't some calculated gimmick or marketing trick. 'Script came first before the casting happened. We didn't shoot a single day till all the songs were recorded. Even the way the film was marketed or positioned. It's about 'let's talk about the content. Let's sell the story. Let's sell, not the actors, because they were new. This wasn't a marketing strategy. It was just going back to traditional ways of how newcomer films were marketed. Let the film speak.," he said.
Mohit Suri's passionate romance Saiyaara has emerged as one of the year's biggest blockbusters, turning newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda into overnight sensations. The film has maintained a remarkable box-office run, raking in over ₹300 crore in India within just three weeks.
Powered by strong word-of-mouth and immense public support, Saiyaara has outperformed expectations despite facing stiff competition from Anupam Kher's Tanvi: The Great, Sonakshi Sinha's Nikita Roy, Mahavatar Narsimha, Ajay Devgn's Son of Sardaar 2, and Triptii Dimri–Sidhant Chaturvedi's Dhadak 2. Its gripping storyline, heartfelt emotions, and soul-stirring music have kept audiences hooked.
The romantic drama follows Ahaan, a daring and struggling musician, and Aneet, a fiercely devoted writer, as their love is tested by life's trials in classic Mohit Suri style. The film explores themes of grief, sacrifice, and eternal love. Written by Rohan Shankar and Sankalp Sadanah, Saiyaara also features standout performances from Geeta Agrawal Sharma, Sid Makkar, Shaad Randhawa, Rajesh Kumar, and Varun Badola, marking the first collaboration between Mohit Suri and legendary production house Yash Raj Films.
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
6 minutes ago
- First Post
Bipasha Basu pens cryptic note amid Mrunal Thakur's 'I am better than her' remark: 'Strong women lift...'
The actress was in a conversation with her Kumkum Bhagya co-star Arjit Taneja when all of a sudden she asked, 'Do you want to marry someone manly with muscles? Go and marry Bipasha then.' Mrunal Thakur has broken her silence on the dating rumours with actor-filmmaker Dhanush after the duo was spotted multiple times together, which sparked the conversation of them being in a romantic relationship in Kollywood and Bollywood circles. However, the Son of Sardaar 2 actress clarified and shared that the actor is 'just a good friend' to her. 'I'm aware that a lot of news has been circulating about the two of us being linked together recently. I just found it funny when I saw it,' Mrunal said in an interview cited by Only Kollywood, adding, 'Dhanush is just a good friend to me." STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The actress was in a conversation with her Kumkum Bhagya co-star Arjit Taneja when all of a sudden she asked, 'Do you want to marry someone manly with muscles? Go and marry Bipasha then.' Mrunal then quipped, 'Listen, I am far better than Bipasha.' What netizens are saying on the viral video One wrote- 'When she said manly with muscles I imagined a steroided up body builder, How is bipasha manly at all?' A second said, 'I mean just look a her…she is talking about bipasha who has been awarded with so many awards for hotness.' A third commented- '' i will change beauty standards ' said by a woman who herself is bodyshaming a woman..🤢' Another said, 'everyone knows mrunal looks better than bipasha.. But to counter her arrogance everyone is acting here like mrunal is nothing compared to bipasha or she 🤣🤣' One more comment read- 'Seriously she compare herself with bipasha?🤣🙏 Madam please speak thoughtfully.' Bipasha Basu's cryptic note The actress said, 'Strong women lift each other up….Get those mucles beautiful ladies…we should be strong…muscles help you attain good physical and mental health forever! Bust the age old thought process that woman should not look strong or be physically strong!!!' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
6 minutes ago
- Business Standard
War 2 day 1 box office: Hrithik-Jr. NTR spy thriller opens at ₹20 crore
War 2 day 1 box office Collection: The much-anticipated movie War 2, starring Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR, hit theatres today, on August 14. The movie is a part of the Spy Universe from Yash Raj Films, which has already produced successful films like Tiger 3 and Pathaan. The latest instalment in the YRF Spy Universe opened strong, raking in double-digit earnings from its early morning and morning screenings. The film, eyeing an estimated ₹30 crore opening, kicked off Thursday on a high note, drawing strong box office numbers from the very start. War 2 movie box office day 1 prediction: War 2 vs other films In Hyderabad and Telugu states, where Jr. NTR's fame is at its height, the public is incredibly excited about War 2. The movie's advance bookings have shattered previous records. Telangana alone has reserved tickets for Rs 2.34 crore, while Hyderabad alone has reserved tickets worth Rs 2.57 crore. Advance bookings for the Telugu and Hindi versions totalled Rs 3.5 crore and Rs 6 crore, respectively. The price of the Tamil version was Rs 10 lakh. On its first day, War 2 is expected to bring in about Rs 25-30 crore in India and Rs 90-100 crore worldwide, according to experts. It can bring in over Rs 30 crore in Telugu states. This movie has the potential to become Hrithik's highest opening, surpassing the 53.35 crores earned by his previous feature, War. With 14,500 showings and 5102 screens, War 2 is expected to be a huge hit at the box office. Final day 1 advance booking of War 2 at the Indian box office War 2 made a respectable 21 crores at the Indian box office (excluding blocked seats) with 7.54 lakh+ tickets sold, according to the final advance booking update for day 1. The movie's pre-sales as of 10 am yesterday were 9.9 crores, indicating a tremendous growth of 112.12% in less than a day. This is a truly remarkable last figure following a lackluster beginning. War 2 achieved Bollywood's highest opening day pre-sales of 2025 with a total of 21 crore. Its collection was 51.62% more than Chhaava's (13.85 crore gross). About the War 2 cast and plot Part 6 in the YRF Spy Universe, War 2 is an action thriller in Hindi and the sequel to the 2019 hit "War." Ashutosh Rana and Anil Kapoor play supporting parts in the Ayan Mukerji-directed and Aditya Chopra-produced Yash Raj Films movie, which stars Hrithik Roshan, N. T. Rama Rao Jr., and Kiara Advani in the key roles. The main character of the film is Kabir Dhaliwal (played by Rithik Roshan), a former Indian intelligence officer who has turned into a significant enemy. The Indian government sends Special Units Officer Vikram (Jr. NTR), an elite agent with a complicated history and a will to eliminate Kabir, to confront this menace. The plot centres on the conflict between these two influential people as their allegiances are put to the test during a crucial mission. As the daughter of Colonel Sunil Luthra (Ashutosh Rana), Kiara Advani portrays Kavya Luthra.
Mint
13 minutes ago
- Mint
War 2 Box Office Collection Day 1 LIVE: Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR's film off to great start, crosses ₹10 crore
War 2 Box Office Collection Day 1 LIVE: Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR's much-awaited collaboration, War 2, released on 14 August, on the Indian Independence Day weekend. The new chapter of the YRF Spy universe is off to a promising start, earning double digits right from early morning and morning shows. According to early estimates of industry tracker Sacnilk, War 2 has minted ₹ 13.91 crore so far. While this is live data from the website, the final figure will be out after the night shows. War 2 had an overall 16.37% occupancy among the Hindi audience on Thursday during the morning show. More details about the release day, such as occupancy, screening counts, and other figures, are yet to be revealed. War 2 was released in five languages-- Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. The film has been released in IMAX, D-Box, ICE, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, and other formats. War 2 is clashing with Rajinikanth's Coolie at the box office. Both films were released on Thursday. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, War 2 is the sequel to the YRF blockbuster War, which starred Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff in the lead roles. Hrithik reprises his role of Kabir in War 2. It also features the clash between Jr NTR and Hrithik Roshan, officially marking Jr NTR's Bollywood debut. War 2 also stars Kiara Advani. Meanwhile, several videos and pictures of fans celebrating War 2 release emerged earlier today as many reached theatres to catch the early shows. Some fans were spotted bursting firecrackers, while others danced and even performed puja rituals. A fan also left the internet shocked when he was seen cutting his thumb and applying a blood tilak on Jr NTR on a poster. War 2 is written by Shridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala, from an original story by Aditya Chopra, who is producing the film under the banner of Yash Raj Films. It is the sixth instalment in the YRF Spy Universe. Besides Hrithik and Jr NTR, the film also features Ashutosh Rana and Anil Kapoor.
