Here’s What Made Saiyaara The Surprise Hit of 2025
And the success started from here because for most films, the real test begins on Monday. But this film blew everyone away as it earned Rs 24 crore on a Monday, more than its opening. That wasn’t some sort of miracle. If you want to understand the magnitude, Anurag Basu’s Metro… In Dino, which released a week before Saiyaara, crossed the 50-crore mark only around its 20th day. That film had a stellar star cast with Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Pankaj Tripathi and Anupam Kher. Even after having a gripping storyline, it’s doesn’t stand anywhere in front of Saiyaara. Below is the full day-wise collection of the film till date (Source: Sacnilk).
Box Office Records
Saiyaara has smashed major box office records with its massive opening and that too with just 8,000 shows across India. To put that in perspective, most films need around 18,000 shows to even touch a 20-crore opening. Yet, Saiyaara did it with less than half. And on top of that, major national chains reported sold out shows across key cities right from Day 1.
What makes this even more unbelievable is that all this happened without the usual buzz. No media interviews, no city tours, no influencer tie ups, no reels, not even basic promotional appearances. The cast stayed away from the public eye, and there was zero traditional marketing. What truly pulled people in was just strong storytelling and smart nationwide targeting.
The film has now made history by recording the highest opening day collection ever for a Hindi film led by debut actors. That record earlier belonged to Dhadak, which launched Janhvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter back in 2018 with 8.76 crore on Day 1. Saiyaara has left that far behind.
The massive opening for Saiyaara is unprecedented because it is neither a big budget actioner nor is it headlined by big stars of the industry. Such an opening is rare for a romantic film with newcomers. Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani made Rs 11.1 crore in 2023, while Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya made Rs 6.7 crore on its opening day.
Some other films which were love stories and made huge collections on their opening day include Kabir Singh (Rs 20.21 crore) and Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar (Rs 15.73 crore). Saiyaara has surpassed these numbers with a Rs 21 crore opening.
Saiyaara has also recorded the career best opening for Mohit Suri. That record was previously held by Ek Villain, which made Rs 16.70 crore on its opening day in 2014. His 2013 release Aashiqui 2 opened at Rs 6.10 crore, while Murder 2 made Rs 6.95 crore on Day 1.
At Rs 21 crore, Saiyaara is now in a league where it has also surpassed some of the biggest releases of the year so far. The list includes Akshay Kumar’s Sky Force (Rs 12.25 crore), Ajay Devgn’s Raid 2 (Rs 19.25 crore), Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par (Rs 10.7 crore), and Akshay’s Kesari Chapter 2 (Rs 7.75 crore).
Reasons for Saiyaara’s success
If we talk about what worked for Saiyaara, the one major reason seems to be the lack of good quality cinema in recent times. Also, films with good music albums and Bollywood’s typical rom com charm have been missing. This movie comes like a breath of fresh air for Bollywood. It’s clearly targeting the young audience of the country. These milestones were achieved without the actors being there for the public gaze and without any traditional publicity or marketing. No interviews, zero city visits, no reels, no influencer content and no visibility. The film has set all these records purely on the strength of its content and emotional connect with the audience.
Maybe this is not a masterpiece, but it’s riding on raw emotion and that’s helping it truly connect. The film is set to enter the 300-crore club and at the rate it’s going, it doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon.
Also Read: Dhun: Arijit Singh’s Voice Shines in Saiyaara’s Romantic Track
