Saiyaara creates social media frenzy, Ahaan Panday outshines Salman, Aamir, Akshay, and Ajay in advance bookings

Bollywood’s latest romantic musical Saiyaara has taken social media by storm, smashing expectations with record-breaking advance bookings ahead of its theatrical release. Starring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Anita Pada, the film is directed by Mohit Suri, the man behind hits like Murder 2, Aashiqui 2, and Ek Villain.

Produced under Yash Raj Films by Aditya Chopra, Saiyaara marks the big-screen debut of Ahaan Panday—Chunky Panday’s nephew and Ananya Panday’s cousin—alongside Anita Pada, who previously gained recognition for Amazon Prime Video’s Big Girls Don’t Cry.

Released on 18 July 2025, the film shocked trade analysts who initially predicted a modest opening of just ₹1–2 crore. But on its very first day, Saiyaara raked in an impressive ₹20 crore, defying all early projections.

Breaking records left and right

Within hours of opening advance bookings, Saiyaara sold 50.1 lakh tickets across India, surpassing the pre-sale numbers of some of Bollywood’s biggest names:

• Salman Khan’s Sikandar (43.1 lakh tickets)

• Akshay Kumar’s Housefull 5 (5.94 lakh tickets)

• Ajay Devgn’s Raid 2 (93,000 tickets)

• Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par (49.75 lakh tickets)

The only film ahead of Saiyaara in 2025’s pre-sales is Chhava, starring Vicky Kaushal and Akshaye Khanna, which sold 23.2 lakh tickets before release. But trade experts believe Saiyaara is on track to break even that record, potentially becoming the biggest advance booking phenomenon of 2025.

The film has already dethroned Dhadak’s opening-day record of ₹8 crore, setting a new benchmark for debuts. If it continues this momentum, Saiyaara could even challenge the ₹27 crore Day 1 haul of Salman Khan’s Sikandar.

Even if Saiyaara slows down at the box office in the coming weeks, its advance booking success is already being hailed as a game-changer for newcomers in Bollywood.