Emotional Frenzy Over ‘Saiyaara’ Sparks Debate, Producers Deny Staging Reactions

Mohit Suri’s latest romantic drama Saiyaara, starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, has sparked an emotional wave among audiences, with multiple videos surfacing of fans crying, fainting, and even showing up at theatres with IV drips. The viral clips, widely shared across social media platforms, led to online speculation that such reactions might have been staged as part of a promotional campaign.

However, producer Akshaye Widhani of Yash Raj Films (YRF) dismissed these claims as baseless. In a public statement, he emphasized that the responses captured were spontaneous and authentic. “None of those people were planted in theatres. These are genuine fans reacting to what they felt on screen,” Widhani clarified.

Adding support, actor Tanishaa Mukerji criticized the cynicism surrounding the film’s success. She asserted that questioning the sincerity of fan reactions only serves to discredit the film’s emotional impact and its resonance with a younger audience.

Despite lacking conventional promotional appearances or interviews by its lead cast, Saiyaara has become a cultural phenomenon. Critics and filmmakers, including Subhash Ghai and Anurag Basu, have lauded its focus on storytelling and emotional depth over star power. Basu even admitted to being moved to tears during the film.

Now crossing ₹400 crore globally, Saiyaara has overtaken Kabir Singh as the highest-grossing romantic film in Hindi cinema. The film’s success, driven by organic fan support and unconventional marketing, positions it as a defining love story for the Gen Z era.