‘Can we please learn our lesson?’: Sanjay Gupta slams stupid trends of promotions, lauds Saiyaara's pre-release strategy

Saiyaraa, which stars newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, released in theatres this Friday with no pre-release interviews of its leads.

Jul 18, 2025, 17:18:04 IST

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Saiyaara is all set to score an unprecedented opening day haul today (July 18). It is astonishing because the film is led by two newcomers- Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, and arrives with very less promotions. Only the trailer and the songs of the film have been released, which have become a hit on social media. Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta took to his X account to praise the team behind the film for this move and slammed the ‘stupid trend’ of endless promotions. (Also read: Saiyaara has ‘shattered’ every myth about launching newcomers: Madhur Bhandarkar lauds Mohit Suri and team on release)

Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri, stars newcomers Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda.

What Sanjay Gupta said about Saiyaara

Taking to his X account, Sanjay began, “So whoever took the decision at YRF to keep the lead pair of Saiyaara away from all the pre-release interviews, appearances and podcasts is a genius. They kept alive the freshness exclusively for the big screen. And look at how it’s worked.”

He added, “Film business was running smoothly. Then Corporates came and tried to rewrite the rules of the game. They screwed up. Big time!!! One of their biggest screw ups was P&A. It was purely to looto (steal) producers. Corporates left & producers continue the stupid trend of promotions.”

‘Smash hits with no PR nonsense’

He concluded by saying, “The South never followed the dumb P&A practise. They did just fine. More than fine. And then come films like 12th FAIL and SAIYAARA straight to the theatres. Smash hits with no PR nonsense. Can we please learn our lesson?”

Sanjay is the director behind films like Aatish, Kaante, Kaabil, Shootout at Lokhandwala and Shootout at Wadala.

Meanwhile, Saiyaara has been released in theatres with strong buzz and a massive figure of ₹9.39 crore in its advance booking sales. The film is receiving good reviews, with particular attention to its music and the acting by the newcomers. Tanishk Bagchi, Arslan Nizami, and Faheem Abdullah have composed the music for the film. Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films, has produced the film.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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