Saiyaara (2025) Review: Old Heartbreak, New Faces

Is Saiyaara worth watching?

It depends. Saiyaara is an earnest, lushly scored Hindi romance that introduces two appealing new leads, but its story runs on emotional machinery audiences have seen many times before. Mohit Suri knows exactly how to stage longing and heartbreak, and Aneet Padda in particular gives the film a quiet sincerity. The reservation is that the plot beats are predictable, the melodrama is heavy, and at two and a half hours the film asks a lot of viewers who are not already invested in the genre.

What is Saiyaara about?

Krish (Ahaan Panday) is a talented, volatile young musician in Mumbai, desperate for a break and quick to anger when things go wrong. Vaani (Aneet Padda) is a shy, gifted writer whose words have never found the right voice. When their paths cross, her lyrics and his music fit together, and a creative partnership turns into a romance. But they come from different worlds, and as their feelings deepen, circumstances begin to test a bond that neither of them expected.

Saiyaara is directed by Mohit Suri and marks the leading-role debut of Ahaan Panday, with Aneet Padda opposite him. Varun Badola, Rajesh Kumar and Alam Khan are among the supporting cast. It is an Indian production in Hindi, runs around 150 minutes, and became one of the surprise hits of 2025 in Indian cinemas.

The music does the heavy lifting

Suri’s films have always been built around their soundtracks, and Saiyaara is no exception. The songs are woven into the story as expressions of the characters’ creative partnership, so each number advances the romance rather than interrupting it. The title song in particular carries a yearning quality that sums up the film’s mood, and the soundtrack’s success is a major reason the film connected with young audiences.

The music-world setting, however, is more backdrop than subject. The film shows little interest in how the industry works; the studios and stages exist mainly as places for the leads to gaze at each other. Viewers hoping for a story about the pressures of a musical career will find it thinly sketched.

Two newcomers, one standout

Aneet Padda is the film’s discovery. She plays Vaani with an introverted gentleness that avoids the clichés of the demure heroine, and her quieter scenes carry real emotional weight. When the story moves into its more dramatic territory, her restraint keeps it from tipping entirely into melodrama.

Ahaan Panday has screen presence and commits fully to Krish’s volatility, but the character is written as a collection of tantrums and grand gestures, and Panday sometimes struggles to make the anger feel like more than a pose. The chemistry between the leads is sincere, and their romance is the reason to watch.

Familiar notes, played loudly

Saiyaara follows the template of the intense Hindi romance with little variation: a brooding hero, a gentle heroine, a series of obstacles and an emotional pitch that rarely drops. Suri stages it confidently, with glossy visuals and swelling music, but the story’s turns are visible well in advance. The film’s length also works against it, with a middle section that repeats emotional beats and a tendency to stretch scenes for maximum tears.

Who should watch Saiyaara?

It suits fans of music-driven Bollywood romance, viewers who enjoy tearjerkers, and anyone curious about two new faces who drew huge attention in 2025. Set aside around two and a half hours. The content is largely mild, with some anger, emotional distress and brief moments of conflict, making it suitable for teenagers and adults.

For other romances with music and heart:

• Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, a glossy, melancholy Hindi romance about love and longing.
• Gully Boy, which takes the music world far more seriously as a story about finding a voice.
• Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, the classic song-filled Hindi romance that still defines the genre.

The verdict

Saiyaara is a heartfelt, beautifully scored romance that introduces a promising new pair of stars, especially Aneet Padda. It relies on a familiar formula and overstays its welcome, so whether it works depends on how much you enjoy traditional, music-led melodrama.

Rating: 3/5