Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda from Saiyaara. Both of them are rock solid in demanding roles
The core plot point of Saiyaara doesn’t make any pretense of being new, in fact it’s a classic Vishesh Films territory with a YRF soul. However, what makes the film click is the emotional core involving the two leads. The soulful music by various composers and its integration is also wonderfully done. Both Ahaan and Aneet get the tone of their characters perfectly, the close-up shots in particular where they have to emote just through body language is simply brilliant.
Starcast: Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda, Geeta Agarwal, Rajesh Kumar, Varun Badola and others
Genre: Romantic drama
Director: Mohit Suri
Writers: Rohan Shankar and Sankalp Sadanah
Producer: Akshay Widhani
Production house: Yash Raj Films
Music: Mithoon, Tanishk Bagchi, Sachet Parampara etc
Cinematography: Vikas Sivaraman
Running time: 2 hours and 35 minutes
Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara has had a fantastic prerelease buzz transforming into very good openings, additionally the movie has also struck a chord with numerous audiences something which even some of the big films have failed to do. On paper Saiyaara is a romantic drama harping back to the times of Rockstar and Mohit’s own Aashiqui 2. It’s about passionate love bordering on madness. However, the film still works because it’s a familiar tale well told.
The broad storyline of Saayiara focuses on two individuals Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday in his debut) and Vaani (Aneet Padda in her first major role). Krish Kapoor is talented, but a hot-headed musician, his hot headedness and angst is established early on where he gets into a brawl, it’s related to the heated topic of nepotism. A big reason for Krish Kapoor’s angst is the alcoholic father played by Varun Badola. Vaani on the other hand has a way with words but suffers from confidence problems., she carries a major emotional baggage. This is due to her ex-boyfriend, he had ditched her at the last moment of a register marriage. The two meet by chance leading to a tumultuous romantic journey, two broken souls healing each other and a medical condition threatening to destroy their happily ever after.
The best part of Saiyaara is how Mohit Suri along his writers build up the love story. How Krish and Vaani find solace changing each other’s lives has been well depicted. A specific mention must be made of the portion where Krish Kapoor talks about his desire for fame and not wanting to die in poverty. The subsequent scene involving Varun Badola and Vaani also opening up about her emotional baggage leading to a fresh start moves the viewers. The pre interval block with a major revelation also doesn’t feel jarring because there is enough foreshadowing.
In the second half the viewers see a different side of Krish. A devoted boyfriend who puts his love above the desire for fame, he gives major boyfriend goals much like Ranveer Singh in Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. The romantic moments are heartwarming also aided by the striking chemistry between the two leads. Yes, some parts of the second half like the return of Vaani’s ex-boyfriend and the scenes between them do act as a speed breaker but as viewers you are still invested in the proceedings.
The music composed by Mithoon, Tanishk Bagchi and others also lift the movie. Specific mention must be made of the title track sung by Faheem Abdullah. It’s an absolute earworm both singing and composition wise. The song comes at the right juncture and is also aided by Ahaan Pandey’s performance.
Mention must also be made of how the movie dwells into digital journalism and the culture of instant gratification songs. There is an important dialogue where Vaani talks about the songs that have endured the test of time and how these were created.
It goes without saying that Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda successfully carry the movie on their shoulders. Ahaan Pandey seamlessly captures the different shades of Krish from the hot-headed nature to the gradual transformation. The simmering anger feels authentic and there is a certain boyish charm. Aneet Padda also gets into the skin of her role particularly in the emotional scenes of the second half. Portraying a character with serious illness isn’t easy but Aneet scores full marks for a job very well done. In fact, both Ahaan and Aneet establish themselves as potential stars going forward.
In the supporting cast Geeta Agarwal and Rajesh Kumar provide good support as Vaani’s concerned parents, they lend in a lot of warmth. Varun Bodala as the alcoholic father also has his moment during an apology sequence but the shift in the dynamics could have done with better writing. Shaad Randhawa in a brief appearance as a rapper singer moddled on Yo Yo Honey Singh suffers from a sketchy characterization not bringing much to the table.
Final word: Sayiaara is worth watching for those who like passionate romantic dramas with soulful music.
