Mar 28, 2026 12:27pm IST
Mohit Suri Says Shah Rukh Khan Called ‘Saiyaara’ Team’s Decision to Keep Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda Away ‘The Best Thing’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Filmmaker Mohit Suri made one of the most successful films of last year with “Saiyaara.” The director has now revealed how his strategy to promote the film was applauded by Shah Rukh Khan himself. Suri shared how the “Jawan” star told him that the team had made the best possible decision by keeping Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda away from the public eye ahead of the release.
For “Saiyaara,” the makers did not opt for the usual round of promotional interviews or city tours across the country. Speaking to Variety India exclusively, Suri revealed that it was a very conscious choice.
Talking about keeping the two leads away from the spotlight before the release, Mohit Suri said, “They were doing their bit but not the regular interviews and marketing and other stuff. This is not a PR thing. The great Shah Rukh Khan, when he met me at Siddharth Anand’s Diwali party, said this is the best thing we did.”
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Elaborating further on the strategy, he added, “Because we didn’t have stars, we concentrated on making great music. We spent more time promoting the music. We did not promote it through interviews or by sending the actors out like everyone does. We spent that money on pushing the music instead. And it all paid back. It all went very authentic.”
Meanwhile, recalling his first impression of Ahaan, Mohit shared that he had initially rejected the actor because he found him too soft and sweet for the character of Krish. “So, I met this boy and Adi (Aditya Chopra) sir told me, ‘He is your character. He is Krish Kapoor.’ And they never let me meet him in the YRF office. He was told, ‘Go meet him in your office.’ And my office is not like a corporate office. It’s like a pad."
He added, "It’s like a den where I sit and write. It’s a simple two bedroom apartment with a garden outside, where I can do my writing and my music and stuff like that. And he comes there, and I didn’t find him like Krish Kapoor at all. I found him to be a sweet, really soft boy. So I told Adi sir, ‘He is not the kind of guy.’ And we did spend two or three meetings where I had actually completely rejected him,” said Suri.
Saiyaara turned out to be a success as it earned Rs 325 crore in its theatrical run.
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