Mahesh Bhatt is expressing his pride in his protégé, Mohit Suri, whose upcoming film Saiyaara is generating a wave of nostalgia for Bhatt's own iconic film, Aashiqui. The veteran filmmaker, who launched Suri two decades ago with Zeher (2005), is delighted that Saiyaara evokes memories of his 1990 romantic drama, Aashiqui.

Saiyaara, set to release on July 18, 2025, will introduce two new faces to Bollywood: Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. Bhatt fondly recalls how Aashiqui catapulted Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal to stardom, and he anticipates a similar impact from Saiyaara. Just like Aashiqui, Saiyaara is a musical.

Bhatt expressed his expectations for Mohit Suri's new venture: "I expect Mohit to do the same with Saiyaara. It's amazing to see that people have the nostalgia of Aashiqui when they are seeing Saiyaara, but I can tell you that it will rewrite the rules of what a romantic film should be in today's time". He believes that every new generation should surpass the previous one and is happy that Mohit is doing just that.

Mohit Suri himself has acknowledged the connection between Saiyaara and Aashiqui, revealing that Saiyaara's music album is a tribute to the first Aashiqui film, which inspired him to delve into music. Suri stated that the Aashiqui soundtrack "left me spellbound" and sparked his lifelong love for music. He is thrilled to have worked with some of India's best musical talents on Saiyaara, including Arijit Singh, Mithoon, Tanishk Bagchi, and Jubin Nautiyal.

Notably, Saiyaara was initially conceived as Aashiqui 3. Mohit Suri was approached by Bhushan Kumar and Mukesh Bhatt to develop the film, but the project eventually evolved into its own entity. Despite this transformation, the essence of Aashiqui seems to have remained, with many fans considering Saiyaara a modern-day continuation of the beloved franchise.

The recently released title track of Saiyaara has further fueled comparisons to Aashiqui 2. The song, composed by Tanishk Bagchi and Kashmiri artists Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami, features elements of romance and sadness reminiscent of Suri's earlier hits. The music is described as a blend of melody, pain, and passion, evoking a sense of nostalgia for the 2013 film.

The film is produced by Yash Raj Films' CEO Akshaye Widhani and is set to be released worldwide on July 18, 2025. Saiyaara marks the first collaboration between Mohit Suri and Yash Raj Films, both known for creating timeless love stories.