As someone who’s been in the film and entertainment business for a while, I can tell you this — whenever a Mohit Suri film drops, expectations run high. Saiyaara, starring fresh faces Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, is no exception. Slated to release this Friday, July 18, the film has already caught serious traction thanks to a catchy soundtrack, a sizzling trailer, and the YRF name backing it. The censor process is done and dusted, but not without the usual tweaks. The CBFC has passed it with a U/A 16+ certificate, but asked for a few changes.
Four “objectionable” words have been toned down, though the actual list isn’t out. More notably, they cut 10 seconds of intimate visuals, calling them “too sensual” or exposing too much. They also added a helmet safety disclaimer in bike scenes which, to be fair, is a smart call in today’s context. After last week’s Superman edit drama, it’s not surprising that Saiyaara too saw a bit of censorship. Still, that hasn’t slowed the hype.
Here’s the exciting bit Saiyaara is set for a solid opening. As of Wednesday morning, it’s already sold 45,000+ tickets across major chains: 33,500 in PVR Inox, 11,500 in Cinepolis, and 2,059 in MovieMax. That’s a strong indicator of audience interest. If the word of mouth kicks in post-Friday, we could be looking at a double-digit opening and that’s no small feat for a romantic drama.
