Saiyaara crushes Kabir Singh at box office with ₹83 cr debut, biggest ever for Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda
What makes Saiyaara’s performance historic isn’t just the number—it's the fact that the film stars newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. “This is the biggest opening for a debut-led romantic drama in Bollywood history,” Sacnilk reported, noting widespread houseful shows and strong national occupancy.
- Jul 21, 2025,
- Updated Jul 21, 2025 7:08 AM IST
Saiyaara stormed into theaters with a ₹83 crore opening weekend, breaking box office records for debut-led romantic dramas in Bollywood.
Directed by hitmaker Mohit Suri, Saiyaara opened with ₹21 crore on Friday, rose to ₹25 crore Saturday, and peaked at ₹37 crore Sunday. That three-day total puts it ahead of Shahid Kapoor’s Kabir Singh, which made ₹70.83 crore in its first weekend, and leagues beyond Aashiqui 2’s ₹20.5 crore—despite its eventual blockbuster status.
What makes Saiyaara’s performance historic isn’t just the number—it's the fact that the film stars newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. “This is the biggest opening for a debut-led romantic drama in Bollywood history,” Sacnilk reported, noting widespread houseful shows and strong national occupancy.
Panday, nephew of actor Chunky Panday, landed the role through a nontraditional route. After Aditya Chopra suggested his name, Suri remained unsure—until an unconventional bar meetup. “By the end of the night, he was sitting on the bar—not the chair, the bar itself—and that's when I realized, this is my guy,” Suri recounted.
Aneet Padda, who drew early attention from her role in Big Girls Don’t Cry, stepped in as the female lead. While less is known about her casting, her expressive range is reportedly what sealed her spot.
Though Saiyaara’s genre differs from action-heavy outliers like Animal—which grossed ₹200 crore in three days—its romantic tone places it squarely in the lineage of hits like Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain, both previous Suri successes. The director now adds Saiyaara to his growing list of box office wins, which already includes Aashiqui 2 (₹78.4 crore), Ek Villain (₹105.6 crore), and Murder 2 (₹47.9 crore).
With this record-setting debut, Saiyaara redefines the potential of new talent-led romance at the Indian box office.
Saiyaara stormed into theaters with a ₹83 crore opening weekend, breaking box office records for debut-led romantic dramas in Bollywood.
Directed by hitmaker Mohit Suri, Saiyaara opened with ₹21 crore on Friday, rose to ₹25 crore Saturday, and peaked at ₹37 crore Sunday. That three-day total puts it ahead of Shahid Kapoor’s Kabir Singh, which made ₹70.83 crore in its first weekend, and leagues beyond Aashiqui 2’s ₹20.5 crore—despite its eventual blockbuster status.
What makes Saiyaara’s performance historic isn’t just the number—it's the fact that the film stars newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. “This is the biggest opening for a debut-led romantic drama in Bollywood history,” Sacnilk reported, noting widespread houseful shows and strong national occupancy.
Panday, nephew of actor Chunky Panday, landed the role through a nontraditional route. After Aditya Chopra suggested his name, Suri remained unsure—until an unconventional bar meetup. “By the end of the night, he was sitting on the bar—not the chair, the bar itself—and that's when I realized, this is my guy,” Suri recounted.
Aneet Padda, who drew early attention from her role in Big Girls Don’t Cry, stepped in as the female lead. While less is known about her casting, her expressive range is reportedly what sealed her spot.
Though Saiyaara’s genre differs from action-heavy outliers like Animal—which grossed ₹200 crore in three days—its romantic tone places it squarely in the lineage of hits like Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain, both previous Suri successes. The director now adds Saiyaara to his growing list of box office wins, which already includes Aashiqui 2 (₹78.4 crore), Ek Villain (₹105.6 crore), and Murder 2 (₹47.9 crore).
With this record-setting debut, Saiyaara redefines the potential of new talent-led romance at the Indian box office.