The Saiyaara Hype Is Real: Here's How Mohit Suri Cracked Massy Audience With A Romantic Movie

Saiyaara might just emerge as one of the most unexpected success stories of the year. Despite having virtually no surface-level buzz or aggressive pre-release marketing, the film saw houseful morning shows across several theatres.

I personally witnessed the same for a First Day First Show at a single screen, which was nearly packed, a rarity for a debut-led romantic drama these days.

Like many sceptics, I initially assumed it was a case of corporate or planted bookings and even considered making a video calling it out. But to my surprise, the theatre was genuinely full.

What stood out, however, was the demographic of the audience. The majority were teenagers, likely under 20, and many appeared to be school or college students, some of them even carried backpacks, clearly bunking classes to catch the film.

It seems Saiyaara has tapped into a very specific youthful energy, drawing in a crowd that found the love story relatable enough to show up in big numbers, even without mainstream hype.

And the moment the film began, it was greeted with a huge roar from the audience, something usually reserved for big-ticket action films or superstar entries. What was even more surprising was that the excitement didn’t fade. The cheers and whistles continued through confrontational scenes, romantic moments, and even the intimate sequences.

I’ve seen audiences erupt during high-octane action scenes in major commercial spectacles, but this was genuinely unexpected. For a youthful romantic drama to evoke that kind of mass hysteria inside a theatre was both shocking and fascinating.

But while watching the movie, I realised Mohit Suri’s brilliance.

It was clear to me that Mohit Suri knew exactly who he was making Saiyaara

for. He tapped into a demographic that many filmmakers tend to overlook: teenage cinegoers, who actually make up a massive chunk of India’s theatre-going audience. Instead of chasing novelty, Suri identified a storytelling gap and filled it with something familiar yet emotionally charged.

The plot itself wasn’t groundbreaking, but it was packaged in a way that resonated deeply with younger viewers. Take, for instance, the scene where the hero performs stunts in the middle of traffic with the heroine tied to him, a wildly cinematic, over-the-top moment that feels straight out of a teenager’s fantasy. And honestly, I’ve imagined that once too. It’s this unapologetic embrace of youthful passion, melodrama, and intensity that makes Saiyaara

work for the audience it was intended for.

I was not expecting a mature love story from the movie and it exactly delivered on my expectations and certainly entertained me.