Was 'Saiyaara' originally meant for real-life couple Sidharth and Kiara?
What's the story
The musical romantic drama Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri, has taken the box office by storm and given a major boost to newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. However, they were not the first choices for the film. According to reports by ScoopWhoop, real-life couple Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani were originally approached to lead Saiyaara, but talks eventually fell through.
Casting decision
Aditya Chopra's vision led to casting shift
In an interview, Suri revealed that he initially considered established actors for Saiyaara. However, it was Aditya Chopra who suggested a fresh casting approach with newcomers. Chopra reportedly told Suri that his film wouldn't work with known faces since it's a story of two youngsters. When asked who would invest in newcomers amid tough box office competition, Chopra simply said he would.
Director-actor collaboration
Malhotra's history with Suri
Suri has a history of working with Malhotra in the 2014 film Ek Villain, which was a box office hit. The director is known for frequently collaborating with actors such as Emraan Hashmi, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Shraddha Kapoor. Given this successful track record, Malhotra's involvement in Saiyaara seemed like a natural choice until Suri opted for fresh faces instead.
Box office performance
Meanwhile, 'Saiyaara' continues to rule the box office
Despite the initial casting changes, Saiyaara has been a massive success at the box office. The film has reportedly crossed the ₹250 crore net mark in India within just 11 days of its release. With positive word-of-mouth and steady audience turnout, trade analysts predict that it will easily surpass the ₹300 crore mark by the end of this week.