The romantic drama Saiyaara has shattered box office records, grossing over ₹500 crore in just a few weeks, catapulting newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda into stardom — and breathing new life into director Mohit Suri’s career. Once written off after the failure of Ek Villain Returns, Suri says the film’s success has left many of his critics “rattled.”
In a candid chat with Faridoon Shahryar on YouTube, Suri addressed the viral videos of moviegoers reacting dramatically — laughing, crying, and even fainting — during screenings. “It’s difficult to ‘lie’ about having a physical reaction to a film,” he said, echoing advice from his mentor Mahesh Bhatt to always aim for that kind of impact. “It’s easier to lie in a review… I just don’t read reviews.”
The filmmaker also revealed a darker side of the industry, claiming that some people he considered friends tried to blackmail him into paying for positive coverage. “A couple of them called me saying, ‘We are going to write a bad review unless you…’ I told them, ‘Write it, I won’t read it.’”
Suri recalled how his 2013 blockbuster Aashiqui 2 was ignored by certain circles, adding that he now deletes his social media whenever a film releases to avoid manipulative narratives. “Some of them are my friends, and I know they charge money for it,” he said. “But on-ground reactions can’t be faked.”
The director credited YRF’s Aditya Chopra for backing him when others wouldn’t, encouraging him to make Saiyaara with fresh faces. Originally conceived as Aashiqui 3, the film was reworked into Saiyaara after creative differences between production houses, with YRF stepping in to produce.