‘Saiyaara’ has taken the box office by storm, raking in Rs 150 crore and earning the badge of a commercial hit. Starring debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, and directed by Mohit Suri, the film promised an emotional journey of star-crossed lovers. Yet beneath the teary audience reactions and viral love quotes lies a film that raises more questions than it answers. Here are 7 burning questions we want to ask Mohit Suri after watching Saiyaara.
1. Is Saiyaara truly original, or just a repackaged remake? The internet is ablaze with comparisons between ‘Saiyaara’ and the Korean classic A Moment to Remember. A viral video shows eerily similar scenes and character arcs. If you’re going to remake a film, shouldn’t there at least be an acknowledgment? Or was the aim to pass it off as original with a fresh cast and Hindi lyrics?
2. Why does Vaani’s Alzheimer’s look like a Bollywood fever dream? A 22-year-old being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s is already a medical rarity. But the way her symptoms progress is downright cinematic: forgetting lyrics mid-song, then suddenly remembering Krish in the climax. Neurologists would likely roll their eyes at the unrealistic portrayal.
3. Why gloss over trauma and caregiving? Alzheimer’s is traumatic—for patients and caregivers alike. Yet, Vaani’s parents hand her over to her boyfriend for care without professional intervention. No medical team, no counselors, no reality check. Just one guy, one guitar, and a lot of melodrama. Where’s the realism?
4. Why does Vaani have to ‘fix’ Krish before fading away? Vaani supports Krish through his emotional baggage, daddy issues, and creative blocks. She acts as his savior while battling a degenerative disease. Why are female characters still being written as emotional rehab centers for ‘troubled’ men?
5. Does Krish’s trauma excuse his behavior? From violent outbursts to walking out on commitments, Krish behaves more like a spoiled rockstar than a grieving artist. Yes, he had a rough childhood. But does that justify beating up a journalist or abandoning a concert tour? The film normalizes toxic masculinity under the guise of ‘depth’.
6. What happened to the band storyline? Krish is introduced as an emerging rock star, but his band barely gets screen time. He abandons shows, ignores contracts, and there are zero consequences. For a film rooted in music, Saiyaara fails to explore its creative space or the people within it.
7. Since when is stealing someone’s diary considered romantic? Krish turns Vaani’s private diary entries into song lyrics without asking her. The film frames it as poetic, but in reality, it’s a serious breach of trust and privacy. Grand romantic gestures should not come at the cost of consent.
Final Thoughts Saiyaara may be a box office success, but success doesn’t absolve it of storytelling flaws. It rides high on emotion, but lacks nuance, depth, and medical responsibility. For audiences to feel seen, and for cinema to evolve, it’s time Bollywood stops recycling tropes under the guise of fresh packaging.
