Hansal Mehta reviews Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda’s Saiyaara after OTT release, praises Mohit Suri: ‘You simply cannot look away'

Mohit Suri’s romantic drama Saiyaara has had a dream run. After a blockbuster theatrical release in July that earned over Rs 570 crore worldwide, the Yash Raj Films-backed love story recently dropped on Netflix on September 12.

Starring debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, the film continues to be the talk of the town—this time thanks to filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s glowing review.Taking to Instagram, Hansal shared a still from the film and confessed he doesn’t limit himself to only the kind of cinema people expect him to like. “I don’t necessarily watch the kind of films I make. Or only the kind of films that people presume I would like. I am no cinema snob. That would make life so boring,” he wrote, adding that he caught the film late one night thanks to jet lag.

‘Saiyaara reminds you why Bollywood once worked’

Hansal called the film a reminder of Bollywood’s old magic. According to him, Saiyaara gets its emotions, music, and lead pairing spot on. “Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda are just that—young, fresh, utterly watchable. You simply cannot look away. The real ‘a star is born’ unfolds here as you watch the young man stride gracefully and the lovely girl emote so effortlessly, while somewhere else another Aashiqui tries to unfold,” he wrote.

He also praised how the film used Alzheimer’s as a narrative device. He said it wasn’t treated as just a medical condition but as “a metaphor, a device for conflict, drama, and memory,” and applauded the dialogues, cinematography, and emotional depth.

‘Nobody does it better than Mohit Suri’

Hansal admitted the secondary parts and the father–son relationship felt undercooked but said the central love story and music made up for it. “Mohit pours his soul into every note.

You can feel it. Love here comes with the spectacle, the fanfare, the teary eyes, the energy and yet, the hold, the pause. Nobody does it better than Mohit Suri,” he concluded, adding that the film left him smiling, humming, and misty-eyed.

Directed by Mohit Suri, Saiyaara follows the passionate love story of Krish Kapoor (Ahaan), an aspiring musician, and Vaani Batra (Aneet), a shy writer, whose relationship is tested when Alzheimer’s changes everything. With a fresh pairing, soulful music, and strong box office numbers, the film has already cemented itself as one of 2025’s biggest success stories.