Saiyaara: The black swan which is rewriting Bollywood rules

Time of India

22-07-2025

In a year of sequels and action films, Saiyaara, a musical love story starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, became a surprise hit. Mohit Suri's direction, combined with the film's emotional depth and sincere performances, resonated with audiences. Its success defied expectations, proving that heartfelt stories can still thrive in Bollywood.
In a year dominated by sequels, action spectacles, and big-banner ensembles, a quiet musical love story featuring two fresh faces has emerged as the biggest surprise of 2025. Saiyaara, directed by
Mohit Suri
and starring newcomers
Ahaan Panday
and
Aneet Padda
has gone on to become the 7th biggest hit of 2025.
To many it has turned out to be a Black Swan event—an unpredictable, rare occurrence with far-reaching consequences.
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The term Black Swan, coined and popularized by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, refers to an event that is extremely rare, has a massive impact, and is often rationalized only in hindsight. Saiyaara checks every one of those boxes. It wasn't just a sleeper hit—it was a bolt from the blue that caught audiences, critics, and the trade completely off guard.
An Unassuming Beginning
The build-up to Saiyaara was relatively quiet. There was no massive marketing blitz, no song launch events or big trailer launched , and no big-ticket names to drive opening weekend footfalls. Ahaan Panday, despite his mother Deanne Panday, uncle Chunky Panday and cousin
Ananya Panday
are part of movies, he was still untested. Aneet Padda though had some experience in front of the camera thanks to her performance in Revathy's Salaam Venky and Prime Video's show Big Girls Dont Cry but was largely unknown .
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Undo
Even Mohit Suri—once a hit machine with films like Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain—had been flying under the radar, having delivered a few underwhelming films in recent years. The general perception was that Saiyaara would be a soft launchpad for new talent, not a game-changer.
And yet, the film began to stir hearts and spark conversations from the very first show and to many it was the music of the film that did all the talking before the shows began.
But by the end of first show all talk moved to the emotional depth of the story, raw sincerity of its newcomers and how good the music was. On Day 4 the film entered the Rs 100 crore club.
Trade Expert Komal Nahta taking to X wrote , ' Some may find what I'm going to say here, outrageous. I myself thought, my thinking was bordering on the outrageous. But I've always spoken business, and so here I am: Looking to the fact that today's collections would surpass Friday's record-smashing collections and today's footfalls will be more than Saturday's, I feel inclined to say that YRF and Mohit Suri's 'Saiyaara' is turning out to be Aditya Chopra and YRF's modern-day 'DDLJ'!'
The Power of Sincerity in a Formula-Driven Era
In an industry increasingly governed by algorithms—franchise formulas, IPs, tentpole budgets, and 'mass appeal' metrics—Saiyaara stood out for its simplicity.
It relied on storytelling.
The love story at the heart of the film was gentle, melancholic, and deeply human. The musical score, something of a Mohit Suri signature, evoked the golden era of Bollywood romance. Audiences across generations responded to its emotional honesty. It reminded people of why they fell in love with the movies in the first place.
That's what makes Saiyaara a Black Swan—it disrupted the prevailing assumptions about what works in modern Bollywood. Who would have thought that, in the age of Pathaan, Jawan, and Stree 2, a soft-spoken love story would hold its own?
Redefining Star Power
A key characteristic of a Black Swan event is that it transforms narratives—both personal and collective.
And Saiyaara has done exactly that for its lead actors.
Ahaan Panday, who was known more for famous family ties, has now proven himself as a capable and emotionally intuitive actor. His performance was restrained and vulnerable .
Aneet Padda, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the most promising new talents in recent memory. Her grounded, layered portrayal has earned her both critical praise and popular adoration.
More importantly, the success of Saiyaara proves that the audience is open to discovering and accepting new faces—provided the film offers them an authentic emotional experience.
The Redemption of Mohit Suri
Perhaps the biggest narrative shift belongs to Mohit Suri. For years, Suri was seen just another director who works with Mukesh and
Mahesh Bhatt
and whose hero is usually
Emraan Hashmi
. But with Saiyaara-already becoming his highest grossing film - the lens with which people will see him now has changed and he has finally found his footing.
With Saiyaara, he is back at the centre of things. The film showcases his core strengths—intimate storytelling, soul-stirring music, and emotionally resonant characters.
More importantly, it re-establishes his identity in a landscape where he was starting to be dismissed as outdated.
Suri didn't just deliver a hit. He delivered a statement—that there is still room for heartfelt, small-scale stories in Bollywood. That music, emotion, and earnestness haven't gone out of style.
A Ripple Effect on the Industry
Black Swan events don't just cause temporary tremors—they create ripple effects. And Saiyaara is poised to influence the way the industry looks at scripts, stars, and storytelling.Already, insiders are noting an increased interest in romantic dramas.
Several filmmakers who were sitting on love stories are dusting off their scripts..
In Retrospect: 'Of Course It Was Going to Work'
Perhaps the most telling sign of a Black Swan event is that, in hindsight, everyone begins to rationalize it. And Saiyaara is no exception.
Now that it's a certified hit, you'll hear people say, 'Mohit Suri always had a touch with music and romance,' or 'Audiences were hungry for a pure love story,' or 'There was something fresh about the newcomers.' These statements may be true—but none of them were dominant opinions before the film was released. That's what makes Saiyaara's success remarkable. It wasn't predicted. It wasn't even imagined.