Mohit Suri Reveals He Almost Abandoned 'Saiyaara' with Newcomers Until Ahaan Panday & Aneet Padda Impressed
'Saiyaara' has rapidly become the hottest debutant film in the Hindi film industry in a long time, with its recently released trailer igniting an immediate internet frenzy. Director Mohit Suri has now revealed that he is humbled by the overwhelming love the film is receiving, especially because he had, at one point, "given up on the idea of making 'Saiyaara' with newcomers" due to not coming "across debutants with acting calibre!" The ace director is now thrilled to have found Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, who, he says, lived up to his expectations with their sheer acting talent.
Mohit Suri openly shared his initial reservations: "I wouldn’t have made 'Saiyaara' if I hadn’t found formidable actors like Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. I was honestly thinking about making something else before my path crossed with Yash Raj Films that was looking for a young love story and was grooming Ahaan and Aneet to star in such a film."
He elaborated on the challenges of casting newcomers in a romantic film: "When you make a love story with debutants, they have to be convincing as actors to pull off the emotional layers and depths that makes the love story feel believable for people. No one expects newcomers to have Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt level of acting but they need to be actors who hold their own on screen. I didn’t come across debutants with acting calibre, I didn’t find the vulnerability in the young crop and I had given up on the idea of making this script with debutants."
Suri further explained his change of heart: "I had pivoted it to have faces that sell from a commerce point of view. Somehow, the writing process of 'Saiyaara' took time and I met YRF and then I saw the auditions of Ahaan and Aneet and decided to spend time with them to get convinced about their acting, intellectual and emotional depth. I was blown away that here are two absolutely fresh new actors who have it in them to act, to surrender to a vision! It’s a rarity today honestly and it’s so refreshing to make a love story with newcomers! I’m glad I found these two because I’m making this story as it was meant to be made."
The much-anticipated intense romantic film, 'Saiyaara,' brings together Yash Raj Films and Mohit Suri, both renowned for creating timeless love stories, for the very first time. The film has already delivered what is being hailed as the best album of the year, with all its songs—including Faheem-Arslan’s "Saiyaara Title Track," Jubin Nautiyal’s "Barbaad," Vishal Mishra’s "Tum Ho Toh," Sachet-Parampara’s "Humsafar," and Arijit Singh & Mithoon’s "Dhun"—making significant waves on the musical charts of India.
Akshaye Widhani, CEO of YRF and producer of 'Saiyaara,' shared his perspective: "At YRF, we have a legacy of making love stories that have connected and stayed in people’s hearts for a long, long time. So, this collaboration with Mohit Suri, who loves this genre as much as we do, was always meant to happen. We were looking to tell a real love story that connects to today’s youth by showing how deep and true their feelings, emotions and commitments are and we are thrilled to have found 'Saiyaara.'"
He added, "It is a love story that is inherently YRF but it has all the tropes of the vintage Mohit Suri romance that everyone has loved for over 20 years! An intense love story with debutants has not been made in a long, long time and we are hoping our audience finds that extremely refreshing."
'Saiyaara' officially launches Ahaan Panday as a YRF hero. The studio has handpicked Aneet Padda (who stole hearts with her brilliant performance in the much-acclaimed series Big Girls Don’t Cry) as the next YRF heroine.
'Saiyaara' is set to release worldwide in theaters on July 18, 2025.
