SAIYAARA
(director: Mohit Suri; screenwriter: story by Sankalp Sadanah, Sadanah, Rohan Shankar; cinematographer: Vikas Sivaraman; editors: Rohit Makwane, Devendra Murdeshwar; music: John Stewart Enduri; cast: Ahaan Panday (Krish Kapoor), Aneet Padda (Vaani Batra), Anngad Raal (Vanni’s 12-year-old brother Rudy), Geeta Agrawai Sharma (Vaani’s mother), Rajesh Kumar (Vaani’s father), Alam Khan (Ky), Varun Badola (Krish’s father), Shaan R. Gover (Mahesh Lyer), Rhea Gipta (Ishika Grover), Ritika Murthy (Neha, editor chief),Mohit Wadhwa (Ritvik Roy, editor), Shaad Randhawa (Prince), Neil Dutta (Cleo Matthews, band member); Runtime: 150; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Aditya Chopra, Akshaye Widhani; Yash Raj Films; 2025-India-in Hindi with English subtitles)
“I found the romance unconvincing.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
“Saiyaara” means “a star in constant movement.” The kitschy Bollywood tearjerker is a sentimental soap opera romantic musical, that’s directed by India’s Mohit Suri (“The Villain”/”Malang”). It’s based on the melodramatic story by Sankalp Sadanah, and the screenplay is by him and Rohan Shankar.
Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda) is a 20-something college grad in Hindi literature, who is about to get married. But the techie for an app company groom Maheesh (Shaan R. Gover) is a no show for a court-house marriage in India, leaving Vaani stunned, with her family present, when he calls to say he’s marrying someone else. Six months later, she’s an online journalist intern for Buzzlist, doing celebrity interviews. The damaged, shy, good-girl meets the ambitious, aggressive, handsome, struggling bad-boy rock singer in his late 20s, Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday). He’s the songwriter/singer for the squabbling unknown band called Josh. He reads Vaani’s poems in her diary and loves them, and asks her to co-write with him the lyrics for his songs. But she psychologically can’t write anymore after being shamed in front of her family.
The reserved Vaani and the self-absorbed Krish, with daddy issues over his drunk father, begin a romantic relationship. We see the highs and lows of their fairy-tale romance, and it’s heartbreaking turn when Vaani suffers from Alzheimer’s.
We’re led to believe love is possible between a reckless and volatile rocker and someone straight, vulnerable and sweet. It’s an opposites attract themed flick about emotionally damaged lovers making a go of it.
I found the romance unconvincing, the dialogue turgid, and the music uninspiring. But the acting was good.
REVIEWED ON 7/30/2025 GRADE: C+
dennisschwartzreviews.com