Saiyaara review: Mohit Suri’s old-school romance gets a fresh coat with Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda

Saiyaara revives old-school romance with soulful music and earnest performances. Despite a familiar plot, it strikes a chord with its emotional depth and Gen-Z love story.

Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda in a still from Saiyaara

Saiyaara story:

Saiyaara is a heartfelt love story that tracks the paths of Vaani (Aneet Padda) and Krish (Ahaan Panday), two young artists from different origins and belief systems who fall madly in love while creating music together. Their relationship faces constant testing as they face the difficulties of youth, self-doubt, and the intricacies of life. But their love story is about flawed individuals who discover a perfect love—a love that is so unselfish, unconditional, and pure that it overcomes everything. As their relationship progresses through the changing seasons, Saiyaara asks a profoundly simple question: would you love someone so much that you would sacrifice everything for their sake?

Saiyaara review:

What are you itching to watch in the movies right now? Angry male actors are prevalent in every genre of movies. Most of these frustrated male actors appear in the action genre, and they are not only making an impact on the screen but also on social media, where posters depict them roaring at the camera and sometimes pointing their weapons. Honestly, I was neither surprised nor intrigued by the announcement of Saiyaara. But a buzz started to spread, and people started talking about what was causing the excitement. So, here I am, after knowing what the hype is all about for a film that has newcomers, not exactly like star kids. However, it combines Mohit Suri's world of tragic romance with Yash Raj Films' return to the romance genre after a long absence.

Before the movie began, I gasped when I entered the theatre to see that it was fully packed, something I must not have seen in probably a year or so for a Hindi film. There I am amid the Gen-Z crowd, finally watching something that is probably a forgotten genre in the movies right now—romantic. And how did it go for me? Let's find out...

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Saiyaara begins with a tragedy, something of a template you can expect from Suri, who has been doing it for exactly two decades now. Here we see Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda), a young girl who is waiting in her wedding trousseau at the family court to get married. Unsurprisingly, the man leaves her at the altar, telling her he has found someone else. Her family stands by the heartbroken girl. While she is grappling with this huge shock in her life, she finally steps out and starts a new life.

Before long, we see an angry young man on a bike, riding without a helmet and smoking weed in the busy streets of Mumbai, questioning why he should take a legal route when the roads are so congested. Without any meet-cute moment, the duo meets each other, and it's a fistfight that takes attention.

The irony here is that Krish, played by Ahaan Panday, discusses receiving no credit due to nepotism and other factors. Suri maintains a realistic perspective, highlighting the current state of the film industry amid media scrutiny.

Quick succession ties both together, as the blending of music and lyrics creates a sense of worldliness. Thus music and lyrics collaborate in the name of Vaani, who writes beautiful poems and Krish, who has a soulful voice. There are moments where they show them getting nearer to each other with one stage after the other. Yes, yes, that's Aashiqui 2 where the star is almost always born but then takes a backseat because love is portrayed as unconditional.

What will be the couple's dilemma and dealbreaker, where they must face adversity and prove they can win? There's nothing new that we haven't already witnessed. Over the past three decades, we have seen nearly one movie every few years featuring a love story in which memory serves as the main antagonist. We have seen films like 50 First Dates The Vow, and the Hindi film U Me Aur Hum, where love stories are affected by the female lead's memory loss, which worsens over time as it becomes a significant part of their lives.

Sankalp Sadanah combines elements of Aashiqui with this important plot to create the final product, Saiyaara. However, the film excels due to the effective integration of music and lyrics, which do not serve as mere fillers.

Furthermore, despite being newcomers, the lead actors masterfully develop their characters, gradually gaining your trust. Yes, there's nothing new in the plot, but you do not feel like snoozing while watching it. Expecting such intensity from newcomers is unrealistic in today's times. However, both Panday and Padda effectively capture your attention on the screen.

Yes, there are minor hiccups, where Panday keeps a restrained expression to show that he is upset, frustrated, and equally sad. When he laughs, it is a rarity in the film, which again follows the template of Mohit Suri films featuring a male lead with a consistently brooding expression. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Padda brings the layers of complex emotions, because it's her character Vaani and the arc that drives the storyline and becomes a push to Krish.

The chemistry between the lead actors is what works so well, because do we see that in the movies nowadays? Unfortunately, the benchmark is so low after witnessing over a century of cinema in existence, this is what we crave. But at least we can appreciate the efforts that are being taken, because there's even a dearth of them.

But to have young and age-appropriate lead actors, there's something that puts them off—to have them mouth such heavy dialogues that are not spoken even in mundane life and never were. The dialogues by Rohan Shankar seem so preach-heavy that, yes, some examples to make some motivation get ignited are fine. But for everything that needs to be expressed, it is heavyweight and, at times, beyond understanding.

Along with the characters, it's music that massively plays the hugest role in the film and deservedly so. The story beautifully integrates the tunes and lyrics, primarily because the lead characters themselves bring them to life. The film features a few songs that play in the background, but these songs enhance the characters and create a soothing listening experience.

Saiyaara may not reinvent the love story, but it reminds us why we fell for them in the first place.

Saiyaara verdict:

Saiyaara doesn’t reinvent the wheel of romance, but it sure makes it spin with heart. While its story may echo familiar chords, the harmony between Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda hits the right notes.

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