Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar believes that a movie doesn’t need to be a massive, larger-than-life spectacle to strike gold at the box office. Speaking exclusively to IANS, the Airlift actor used the massive success of the 2025 hit Saiyaara to debunk the industry belief that only high-octane multi-starrers can pull audiences into theaters.
When questioned about recent industry remarks—including those by veteran actor R. Madhavan—suggesting that cinema-goers now only step out for event-scale movies, Akshay took a more philosophical stance: “If it is in the destiny of the film, it runs successfully one way or the other.”
Breaking Down the ‘Saiyaara’ Phenomenon
To back up his point, Akshay recalled how a romance drama led by two fresh faces completely disrupted the box office landscape without relying on a massive pre-release gimmick or action set-pieces.
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The Power of Simplicity: Assisted by his Welcome to the Jungle director Ahmed Khan to remember the name, Akshay pointed out that Saiyaara lacked any conventional “theatrical event” backing.
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The Winning Formula: According to him, the formula was simple but potent: soulful music, a strong romantic arc, and stellar performances from its young leads. “It’s just that its songs worked, and the romance in the film worked. That caught on,” Akshay noted.
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A Box Office Titan: Fronted by newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, the film went on to become the third highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025 and etched its name in history as the highest-grossing Indian romantic film of all time.
About the Film
The Creative Roots: Directed by romance-genre veteran Mohit Suri and backed by powerhouse studio Yash Raj Films, Saiyaara is believed to be loosely adapted from the acclaimed 2004 South Korean romantic drama A Moment to Remember.
Akshay, who is currently riding high on his own theatrical run with Welcome to the Jungle crossing the ₹50 crore mark on day two, concluded that raw emotional connect and a bit of luck will always hold power over sheer scale.
