Some of my thoughts on how Saiyaara has come as an out of book syllabus surprising the trade with fantastic box office numbers; also why a film like Saiyaara is a wake up call on how big scale isn’t always necessary to strike a chord with the audiences. Sometimes all it takes is a familiar tale with new sprinklings
Saiyaara directed by Mohit Suri perfectly fits the title of a surprise dhamaka. A movie with two newcomers and on top of that an intense romantic drama has reached 200 crores till now, the numbers are only going to increase with an open field till August 1st. The mega success of Saiyaara is a pleasant surprise in the times of pan India masala where scale and big stars from different industries coming together has become a norm.
The reason for Saiyaara’s storm are numerous starting from the movie’s genre. The core plot of this Mohit Suri directorial is a cross between Rockstar and Aashiqui 2. Its been a while since Hindi cinema has taken an intense romantic drama with broken souls and madness of youthful love.
However what makes Saiyaara special is the contemporary soul in the post interval portions. The first half has all the markings of a domed love story with the heroine’s medical condition along with the fact that she hasn’t completely got over the ex boyfriend. But Mohit Suri’s handling of the second half is very different from Aashiqui 2 where Aditya Roy Kapoor is unable to get over his drinking and insecurity problems. In Saiyaara Ahaan Panday’s Krish Kapoor goes from a hot headed young man to a devoted boyfriend putting his love above the need for fame. The romantic moments between Ahaan and Aneet Padda are so adorable making the viewers root for the couple. At the same time Krish doesn’t give up music entirely, his deep love for Aneet Padda’s Vaani isn’t a weakness but its something which adds to his music.
Infact the title track Saiyaara is a representation of how much Vaani means to Krish. The placement of the song after Vaani goes missing is absolutely perfect. Through the character of Krish Mohit Suri gives us a protagonist who strikes the perfect balance between ambition and love.
Coming to the music part, songs have always been Mohit Suri’s superpower. Most of his films boast of melodious soundtracks, in fact the songs are a character in themselves playing a crucial role in carrying forward the story. Saiyaara’s soundtrack is no different whether its Humsafar of the first half or the title track in the middle of second half. The songs carry a purpose giving weight to the tumultuous journey of Krish Kapoor and Vaani.
Apart from the music and the narration what makes Saiyaara a monstrous hit are the acting performances. For a love story of this nature its very important that the two leads immerse themselves in the emotional baggage of their characters. Both Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda are simply first rate, getting into the headspace of their roles with perfection. The best part of their performances are the close up shots, the two use their eyes very effectively to convey the emotions. Along with the leads the supporting cast also deserve a mention.
Vaani’s parents played by Rajesh Kumar and Geeta Agarwal play their parts with lots of warmth. Alam Khan as KV as an important support system for Krish is also good standing by his friend even though he doesn’t get Krish’s intense love for Vaani.
