Is Ahaan Panday's Saiyaara the biggest debut since Hrithik Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai?

Saiyaara, the newest film from Yash Raj Films and Mohit Suri, has made history at the Indian box office. On its first day, the film grossed ₹21.25 crore nett, which is the highest start ever for a film starring newcomers. The romantic drama, which stars Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, has succeeded where other films have failed by promoting its performers directly to the public.

Record-breaking launch for debutants

Based on its first-day profits, Saiyaara has become the highest opening-day net box office performer in Indian cinema history starring a debutant. It surpassed records set in the 2000s by films such as Refugee—which featured Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor Khan—and Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, which had introduced Hrithik Roshan to the film industry.

Love story numbers unseen since 2000

At the box office, the film has the biggest opening for an Indian "pure love story" ever. This marks the first romantic drama to surpass ₹20 crore nett on its opening day since the pandemic. Statistics from the box office show that "Saiyaara" sold more tickets than any debutant film in the past quarter of a century.

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Low screen count, high returns

The fact that Saiyaara managed these numbers with a restricted run is even more astonishing. In India, it was shown on a mere 8,000 screens, which is less than half of the usual 18,000 screens for openers that earn ₹20 crore or more. Regardless, the film's surprisingly excellent performances in West Bengal and Bihar led large national multiplex chains to claim full houses in various cities.

Mohit Suri’s best-ever opening

Known for hits like Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain, filmmaker Mohit Suri's Saiyaara is his most successful film to date. In particular, it confirms his dominance of the romance genre among younger viewers.

No traditional marketing

In a departure from the norm for anime releases, Saiyaara did not have any influencer partnerships, promotional city visits, or interviews. The actors in the film were asked to stay away from the press. YRF chose to launch a countrywide campaign that relied on music, word-of-mouth, and trailers instead. It seems that this content-first approach was really successful.

Will Saiyaara be able to maintain its historic start and become one of the year's biggest surprise hits? This weekend will be pivotal in answering that question.