Filmmaker Rajiv Rai, known for his larger-than-life action thrillers, surprised many when he recently opened up about the sleeper hit Saiyaara and the secret behind its meteoric rise—despite featuring two absolute newcomers. In an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama, Rai delved deep into what made the film click with audiences, what unfolded at the cinemas, and why love stories never truly go out of style.
EXCLUSIVE: Rajiv Rai gets candid on Saiyaara’s surprising success; says, “It blew me away”
“It’s happened many times in the past. It’s a formula,” Rai began, reflecting on Bollywood’s love affair with debutants and poignant romantic dramas. “My father distributed Ek Duuje Ke Liye. Kamal Haasan was Tamilian — nobody knew him in the Hindi belt. But the film worked. We’ve seen this before with Betaab, with Aamir Khan’s Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, with Love Story — people want to watch love stories, especially when they speak to a particular age group.”
According to Rai, the key demographic—youngsters aged 15 to 20—is often underestimated by critics but remains a potent force at the box office. “They’re not thinking like you and me. Their mindset is different. That’s the audience that goes into the cinema. If you’re making a film for that age group, you’re on the right wicket,” he explained.
But Saiyaara’s appeal, he argued, went far beyond a simple teenage romance. “What the director got right was emotion,” Rai said, his tone turning reflective. “I saw the film on Friday, and I got it. That emotional angle is unique. I never thought anybody would talk about Alzheimer’s — it’s a very difficult topic. And to get it at seventy… fair enough, you take cinematic liberties. But the core of the love story? It hit home.”
He added, “This was a boy who said, ‘I’m not going to leave this girl until death, even if she doesn’t recognize me.’ That kind of love—it’s rare on screen. And that’s what worked.”
Cinemagoers, it seems, felt the same. What began as a modest release quickly snowballed into a box office phenomenon, with packed shows and social media buzz pushing the film into mainstream consciousness.
Rajiv Rai attributes this surge to more than just heartfelt storytelling. “You need to mount it right,” he emphasized. “Big canvas, excellent production values, strong distribution. They had all that. The music? Fantastic. But it’s that emotional quotient — and the risk. You can’t do Romeo and Juliet again. You need something new, something bold. Saiyaara took that risk.”
Despite being known for directing action-packed blockbusters like Tridev and Mohra, Rai confessed his admiration for the romance genre. “I’m not a love story director,” he admitted. “But I do watch them. Love Story — the Ali MacGraw one — that was a landmark. It had raw emotion. You would cry at the end. It moved the world. Saiyaara reminded me of that. It blew me away.”
As the film continues its theatrical run, outperforming expectations and igniting conversations, it stands as a testament to Rai’s theory: that the right mix of emotion, risk, and relatability can catapult even newcomers into the limelight.
“Love stories work,” he concluded with conviction. “You just need to get the script right, the actors right — and don’t forget the canvas.”
More Pages: Saiyaara Box Office Collection , Saiyaara Movie Review
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