Saiyaara, Haiwaan writer Rohan Shankar decodes Hindi film industry's revival after lull: ‘No Bollywood vs South anymore’

In an interview with Hindustan Times, writer Rohan Shankar talks about why recent films that struck big at the box office worked the way they did.

Since the success of KGF, RRR, and Pushpa, there has been talk of Bollywood losing its mojo, while films from the South seem to know what audiences want. It had resulted in everything from passionate debates to proclamations about the Hindi film industry only making films for ‘Bandra and Juhu’. And then came along films like Chhaava, Saiyaara and Dhurandhar to bust these notions and remind everyone of what Bollywood was capable of.

Rohan Shankar wrote the dialogues for Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda-starrer Saiyaara.

Writer Rohan Shankar, who just so happened to write the dialogues for Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara and recently worked with Priyadarshan on the screenplay and dialogues of Bhooth Bangla and Haiwaan, chimes in on the Bollywood vs South discourse with Hindustan Times. (Also Read: Is Bhooth Bangla anything like Bhool Bhulaiyaa? Did Akshay Kumar improvise on set? Writer Rohan Shankar reveals)

Rohan Shankar envisions a bright future

Rohan says the conversation has shifted in 2026, and explaining the current scenario, he says, “I don’t think it’s about Bollywood vs South anymore. It’s about storytelling that connects with audiences. The films that have worked, whether from the South or Hindi cinema, have strong conviction, clear emotion, and a larger-than-life cinematic experience.” Giving the example of Saiyaara, he says they didn’t expect the film to do as well as it did. The proof of its success was in the videos of young, heartbroken lovers everywhere shedding tears and fainting in theatres.

Rohan also says that, as writers in the film industry, their work depends on what producers and audiences want. He admits that if a film becomes a hit, it usually leads to the idea of making more such films. “As writers, we don’t really decide the ‘safe zone.’ It’s driven by what producers and audiences respond to. If a certain kind of film works big, that becomes the trend. Going forward, I think we’ll see more diversity in storytelling, because audiences today are open to everything, as long as it’s engaging and honest.”

Adapting Haiwaan to the Hindi audience

One such diverse film, one hopes, will be Rohan’s next collaboration with Priyadarshan, Haiwaan. The film is an adaptation of the filmmaker’s 2016 Malayalam blockbuster, Oppam, starring Mohanlal. “Adaptations are always tricky because you’re balancing two responsibilities, staying true to the original while making it feel fresh for a new audience,” says the writer. For Haiwaan, Priyadarshan had a clear vision of how he wanted to adapt the story, he adds.

Rohan says that they took the emotional core and structure of Oppam and reinterpreted it with a different context for Haiwaan. “Certain changes were necessary to make the film relevant for today’s audience and also to suit the Hindi film space. The most challenging part is always the tone…making sure the story feels contemporary without losing the essence that made the original special. That balance is where most of the work goes,” he adds.

Shooting for Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan-starrer Haiwaan was wrapped in December 2025, and it’s expected to hit screens in August this year. Rohan has teamed up with Mohit Suri again for his next project with Saiyaara stars Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday.