Mohit Suri responds to claims of ‘paid theatre videos’ for Saiyaara

Director Mohit Suri have addressed claims that emotional audience reactions to his film Saiyaara were staged or not.

Director Mohit Suri has finally addressed the swirling speculation around viral audience reaction videos from his latest film, Saiyaara. The film marks Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda's debut. It has become one of the year’s biggest box office hits, crossing the ₹300 crore mark and sparking intense emotional responses from fans in packed theatres across the country.

Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda's Saiyaara has grossed over ₹300 crore, gaining emotional responses from fans.

Are the emotionally charged videos paid?

In recent weeks, social media has been flooded with videos of viewers crying, shouting, and even dancing shirtless during screenings of Saiyaara. One particularly striking clip featured a man watching the film with an IV drip attached, while others showed emotional breakdowns and frenzied applause. These dramatic visuals led some online users to accuse the filmmakers of staging or "planting" these reactions as part of a paid promotional campaign.

However, speaking to Zoom, Mohit Suri firmly denied the allegations. “We have tried to be honest all through this film. People think the viral theatre videos were created, but we have not done that,” he clarified, calling the reactions authentic and organic.

Backing him up, YRF CEO and producer Akshaye Widhani also rejected the “paid PR” narrative in an interview with India Today.

“None of those people were planted in theatres. Whether it’s the person on a drip, the one yelling at the screen, or the guy who took off his shirt and danced – these are genuine fans reacting with real emotions. It’s funny when you start receiving calls from people telling you how much they cried, and you’re actually thanking them for it. You find yourself saying, ‘We’re happy you cried,’ because that’s the kind of emotional connection Mohit has managed to create after so long," Akshay said.

Saiyaara's success

Part of Saiyaara’s massive success is being credited to an unconventional zero-promotion strategy. Lead actors Ahaan and Aneet made no media appearances, avoided influencer collaborations, and remained largely inactive on social media before the film’s release. The approach created a sense of mystery, relying entirely on word-of-mouth and the emotional impact of the film. Saiyaara has crossed the ₹300 crore milestone, making it this year's second-highest grosser.