Saiyaara creates box office history: Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda starrer scores biggest opening weekend for Bollywood debutants
A film led by two completely new faces -
Ahaan Panday
and
Aneet Padda
- has emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of 2025. To add to the significance, the film is now the biggest Bollywood hit ever to feature two debutant leads.
Released on July 18, 2025, 'Saiyaara' announced its arrival into the mainstream cinema with a staggering Rs 21 crore opening day collection. Interestingly, this opening day collection was a badge of merit that even superstars struggled to reach post-pandemic.
In doing so, it proved to be one of the most audacious gambles in Bollywood that turned out to be rewarding.
Rarity of Dual Debuts
In Hindi cinema, having two debutants taking on leading roles in a film is a risky bet. It is only in rare situations that films featuring new faces have turned out to be successful. Some of these rare hits include
Hrithik Roshan
and Ameesha Patel's 'Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai' which scored an impressive lifetime collection of Rs 44.28 crore. The next big hit came from
Alia Bhatt
, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra with their teen romance drama 'Student of the Year' which earned Rs 70 crore.
Even the Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter starrer 'Dhadak' paid off handsomely, finishing its run just under the Rs 100 crore net mark.
In contrast, recent releases featuring newcomers, like 'Mirzya' and 'Malaal', wound up their run with collections of Rs 7.92 crore and Rs 2.8 crore, respectively.
However, 'Saiyaara', on the other hand, has seemingly rewritten the playbook entirely by outgrossing these classics within its mammoth Rs 83 crore opening weekend.
Number Game
From the very first show, Saiyaara was on fire:
Day 1
Rs 21 Crore
Day 2
Rs 25 Crore
Day 3
Rs 37 Crore
Weekend Total
Rs 83 crore India Net
This haul didn't just make headlines, it crushed long-standing box office records. 'Saiyaara' not only raised the benchmark for box office collections for a film starring debutantes, it also outperformed director
Mohit Suri
's previous opening records of his previous films like 'Ek Villain' which earned Rs 105.76 crore (lifetime total), 'Aashiqui 2' which earned Rs 78 crore (lifetime total).
The film has now positioned itself among the top 10 highest opening weekends of 2025:
'Chhaava'
– Rs 601 crore
'
Housefull 5'
– Rs 183 crore
'Raid 2'
– Rs 173 crore
'Sitaare Zameen Par'
- Rs 163 crore
'Sky Force'
- Rs 112 crore
'Sikandar'
– Rs 110 crore
'Kesari Chapter 2'
- Rs 92 crore
'Jaat'
- Rs 88 crore
'Saiyaara'
– Rs 83 crore
For a film starring two actors making their first on-screen appearance, these numbers are unprecedented.
The Winning Formula
So, what worked? Why did 'Saiyaara' succeed where other dual-debut films failed?
Director Mohit Suri credits the film's authenticity and emotional truth. In interviews, he's spoken candidly about his desire to push past the rose-tinted portrayal of romance in Bollywood, 'In love, there will be pain… If love is not real, it's not felt. I believe in it more than I fantasise about it,' he told PTI.
Suri's distinct voice, previously seen in emotionally resonant films like Aashiqui 2 and Malang, shines in Saiyaara.
His co-writing effort with Sankalp Sadanah crafted a screenplay rooted in vulnerability, memory loss, and the emotional turbulence of youth, all set against a backdrop of stirring music. And the audience responded.
In classic Suri fashion, music wasn't just a soundtrack, it stepped up as a supporting act. Songs like "Saiyaara (Reprise)" and "Tum Rehte Ho" became instant chartbusters, flooding social media reels and playlists.
Audiences danced, cried, and celebrated in theatres as seen in viral videos from packed theatres.
Stars Are Born
While the film's story pulled heartstrings, the raw, sincere performances of its leads saw several stars take to social media to share words of praise for the new talents. Ahaan, with his earnest portrayal of Krish, an aspiring musician, and Aneet, playing Vaani a writer grappling with early-onset Alzheimer's, had actress-producer Alia Bhatt gushing on Instagram,
'It's safe to say… two beautiful, magical STARS are born. I don't remember the last time I looked at two actors with such awe… What a film. What feeling. What music!'
Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu echoed the sentiment in a post that read, 'Take a bow Saiyaara team… Honest storytelling, standout performances and top-notch execution.'
Actor Harshvardhan Rane summarised it best saying, 'Another melodious example of a love story shattering all myths and formulas of the industry.'
The Debutant's Club
When it comes to Bollywood films featuring debutant leads, Saiyaara has set a new benchmark. Starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, the romantic drama stormed the Indian box office with a staggering Rs 83 crore opening weekend collection — the highest ever for a film launching two fresh faces.
Here's how Saiyaara compares to previous Bollywood dual-debut films (India Net collections):
'Saiyaara'
(2025) – Ahaan Panday & Aneet Padda – Rs 83 crore (weekend)
'Malaal'
(2019) – Meezaan Jaaferi & Sharmin Segal – Rs 2.8 crore
'Dhadak'
(2018) – Janhvi Kapoor & Ishaan Khatter – Rs 74.19 crore
'Mirzya'
(2016) – Harshvardhan Kapoor & Saiyami Kher – Rs 7.92 crore
'Hero'
(2015) – Sooraj Pancholi & Athiya Shetty – Rs 31 crore
'Student of the Year'
(2012) – Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan & Sidharth Malhotra – Rs 70 crore
'Ishaqzaade'
(2012) – Arjun Kapoor & Parineeti Chopra – Rs 47 crore
'Heropanti'
(2014) – Tiger Shroff & Kriti Sanon – Rs 52.70 crore
'Saawariya'
(2007) – Ranbir Kapoor & Sonam Kapoor – Rs 20.92 crore
'Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai'
(2000) – Hrithik Roshan & Ameesha Patel – Rs 44.28 crore
Not only did Saiyaara claim the top spot, it did so in record time, making it the most successful dual-debut in Bollywood history to date.
More than just a weekend wonder, 'Saiyaara' is shaping up to be a defining debut film in modern Bollywood history. Whether it's the vulnerability of a director's story, or two young actors giving it their all this success story has changed the game for Bollywood, and we're all here for it.
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