Saiyaara, the romantic musical starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, has created history by becoming the biggest opener for Yash Raj Films (YRF) with debutant actors. Directed by Mohit Suri, the film hit theatres on 18th July and opened to an overwhelming response from both critics and the audience.
The film collected a staggering INR 25 crore (approx. USD 2.9 million) on its first day in India, making it the highest-ever opening for a Hindi film led by debutants. It surpassed the previous record held by Dhadak, which opened with INR 8.76 crore. With nearly 9.75 lakh (975,000) people watching Saiyaara on Day 1 itself, it marked a powerful debut not just for the actors but also for director Mohit Suri, who delivered the best opening of his career.
Despite having fewer shows — just around 8,000 screenings across India — the film still managed a record-breaking collection of INR 21.25 crore (USD 2.46 million) on its first day, showing the strength of its content and public interest. Advance bookings were strong, with INR 9.39 crore (USD 1.08 million) collected before release, and 3.8 lakh tickets sold.
By the end of its first weekend, Saiyaara had minted INR 83 crore (USD 9.62 million) in India, overtaking Kabir Singh’s opening weekend collection of INR 70.83 crore. The global box office figures stood at INR 119 crore (USD 13.79 million), making it one of the top five opening weekends of 2025 and placing it at number 9 on the global chart, according to Comscore.
This strong start has not only made Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda instant internet sensations — with their social media followers doubling after the release — but has also reignited interest in romantic films. Following the successful re-releases of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Sanam Teri Kasam, Saiyaara has proven that love stories still have a strong place at the box office.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh confirmed that Saiyaara recorded the highest ticket sales for a debut film since 2000, when Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai and Refugee created waves. It even beat Mohit Suri’s previous best, including Ek Villain (INR 16.70 crore), Murder 2 (INR 6.95 crore), and Aashiqui 2 (INR 6.10 crore) in terms of opening day collections.
Several Bollywood celebrities and film studios joined in to praise the film’s team. Ranveer Singh called Saiyaara “heartfelt” and congratulated Ahaan and Aneet for a “scintillating debut”. Maddock Films also congratulated YRF and director Mohit Suri for their storytelling and passion, which clearly struck a chord with the audience.
