New Delhi:
Yash Raj Films and director Mohit Suri’s new romantic drama, Saiyaara, has taken the box office by storm. Starring debutant Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, the film has delivered one of the biggest openings for a newcomer-led film in Indian cinema history.
Record-Breaking Opening Day
Released on July 18, Saiyaara earned Rs 25 crore (approx. $2.9 million) on its first day in India. According to figures from YRF, nearly 9.75 lakh people watched the film in theatres on Day 1.
This is the biggest opening day ever for a Hindi film led by debutants. It surpassed the record set by Dhadak (Rs 8.76 crore) in 2018.
The film also had the highest opening day for a romantic film in recent years, ahead of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Rs 11.1 crore), Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (Rs 6.7 crore), Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar (Rs 15.73 crore), and Kabir Singh (Rs 20.21 crore).
Highest Opening Day Ticket Sales For A Debut Film
Saiyaara recorded Rs 9.39 crore in advance bookings before its release, with 3.8 lakh tickets sold. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh reported that 1.38 lakh tickets were sold across national chains, including 1.05 lakh in PVR INOX and 33,000 in Cinepolis.
This is the highest opening day ticket sales for a debut film since 2000, when Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai and Refugee made headlines for their strong openings.
Best Opening Of Mohit Suri’s Career
Director Mohit Suri, known for films like Aashiqui 2 and Ek Villain, has delivered his career-best opening with Saiyaara. The film’s Rs 21 crore nett opening beats Ek Villain (Rs 16.70 crore), Murder 2 (Rs 6.95 crore), and Aashiqui 2 (Rs 6.10 crore).
Fewer Shows, Bigger Impact
What makes the film’s success more notable is that it achieved this with just 8,000 screenings across India, less than half of the average 18,000 shows usually needed for such collections. Despite this, several theatres reported sold-out shows in major cities.
Saiyaara Enters Top 5 Highest Opening Weekends Of 2025
Globally, Saiyaara grossed $11.9 million in its opening weekend, placing it at number 9 on the global box office chart, as per Comscore.
In India, the two-day gross stood at $6.6 million, with Sunday numbers expected to push the total higher. The total weekend collection has reached Rs 83 crore, making it one of the top five highest opening weekends of 2025.
Ahead Of Big Star-Studded Films
In just three days, Saiyaara has earned more than several major releases of the year, including Sky Force (Rs 12.25 crore), Raid 2 (Rs 19.25 crore), Sitaare Zameen Par (Rs 10.7 crore) and Kesari Chapter 2 (Rs 7.75 crore).
It has also overtaken the lifetime collections of Maalik (Rs 23.27 crore), Deva (Rs 33.97 crore), Maa (Rs 38.51 crore) and The Diplomat (Rs 40.73 crore).
The film surpassed Anurag Basu’s star-studded film Metro… In Dino (Rs 48.47 crore) as well.
A Romantic Comeback
With the re-releases of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (Rs 22.04 crore) and Sanam Teri Kasam (Rs 35.55 crore) drawing good numbers earlier this year, Saiyaara adds to the growing interest in romantic films. It now leads this trend with its strong box office run.
