Saiyaara’s Rs 400 crore journey began in a temple: YRF CEO shares how the film was born

Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara has emerged as a dark horse at the box office, rewriting records and capturing hearts across borders. Featuring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda in lead roles, this romantic drama has now become the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2025 in the international market, according to Sacnilk. Recently, the YRF producer shared how Saiyaara was born.

Interestingly, the story behind Saiyaara's inception is as touching as the film itself. According to YRF CEO Akshaye Widhani, the studio had been keen on returning to its romantic roots and was clear from the start that their next project had to be a love story—something that has always been central to YRF’s identity. The journey unexpectedly began when creative producer Sumana Ghosh happened to meet director Mohit Suri at a temple. That chance encounter led to a conversation, which eventually brought the script to the YRF team. After the first reading, they were convinced: this was the film they wanted to make.

Saiyaara's box office collections

The film has raked in a staggering Rs 94 crore overseas, overtaking the lifetime international earnings of the much-talked-about historical epic Chhaava, which starred Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna. What makes Saiyaara’s success even more remarkable is that it’s only the second Hindi film this year to cross Rs 90 crore internationally—a milestone that's usually reserved for big-budget projects with superstar casts. Among all Indian films released in 2025 so far, it now holds the No. 2 spot in the overseas box office race, second only to Mohanlal's L2: Empuraan, which has collected Rs 124.5 crore globally. Its worldwide collections have crossed the Rs 400 mark.

About Saiyaara

Directed by Mohit Suri and backed by Yash Raj Films, Saiyaara tells the story of Krish Kapoor, a brooding musician, and Vaani Batra, a shy poet. The musical romantic drama hit theatres on 18 July 2025 and received glowing reviews from critics. Debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda were especially praised for their fresh performances, and Suri’s signature style—intense storytelling paired with a memorable soundtrack—struck a chord with the audience.