Zeher (2005) recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, on March 25. The craze generated by its songs at that time is still etched in the memories of those who lived through the era. The one song that stood out was ‘Woh Lamhe Woh Baatein’, sung by Atif Aslam. It was unlike any other song of that time; a remixed version of the slow number was also quite catchy and became a hit in nightclubs. More than 8 months later, Kalyug (2005) was released and it also got a boost thanks to the song ‘Aadat’, sung by Atif Aslam.
20 Years, COUNTLESS Chartbusters: Tracing the LEGENDARY journey of Mohit Suri and how he delivered a memorable soundtrack with EVERY film; talented filmmaker says, “I don’t plan hits, I feel them…hope I have created my BEST music for Saiyaara”
Both movies were backed by Vishesh Films and starred Emraan Hashmi. The other common factor between these two films? Director Mohit Suri. The young filmmaker brought in a new wave of music with these two albums. Soon, it became clear that if it’s a film directed by Mohit Suri, the songs will surely top chartbusters. And that happened with his next Woh Lamhe (2006). Awarapan (2007) was arguably even better, especially with the different range of songs. Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009), Crook (2010) and Murder 2 (2011) also followed suit.
With Aashiqui 2 (2013), Mohit Suri reached another level. The songs were soulful and old-school and touched a chord with filmmakers of all ages. The film started on a decent note and then went on to become a sleeper blockbuster. His next, Ek Villain (2014), became quite big before release majorly due to the songs. In fact, it’s surreal to believe that this mid-sized film managed to open at a huge Rs. 16.72 crores. A big share of the credit for it went to Mohit and his choice of songs.
His next two films – Hamari Adhuri Kahani (2015) and Half Girlfriend (2017) – continued the tradition of having memorable tracks. The same applied to Malang (2020), one of the last successes of the pre-pandemic era. Post-pandemic, he returned with Ek Villain Returns (2022), a film remembered today chiefly for its music.
What’s pertinent to note is that these films didn’t just rely on songs to succeed. If that were the case, these movies would have dropped after an opening. Most of these films had a solid story to tell and Mohit extracted fine performances from his lead actors. As a result, one can’t help but expect a lot from Saiyaara.
The excitement for the film is there for many reasons. It marks Mohit’s first collaboration with Yash Raj Films (YRF), one of the most respected production houses of India. Secondly, it marks the debut of Ahaan Panday and his looks and chemistry with Aneet Padda have been noticed. And thirdly, the songs have already left a mark, though the film is more than a month away from its release.
Many are disillusioned with the music scene in today’s times. Hence, Saiyaara’s songs are like a breath of fresh air. They have the modern feel and yet have the old-school charm. Also, it’s a rare love story in today’s times. There’s a clear indication that moviegoers are feeling saturated with violent and bloody films and miss romantic and light-hearted sagas. The surprising over-performance of the Hollywood romcom Materialists over the weekend is a clear example. Such films are few and far between. If they are made well and have the right kind of music, then the sky can be the limit for such movies.
Mohit Suri speaks up
Mohit Suri opened up exclusively to Bollywood Hungama on his 20-year musical journey. He said, “I never planned to give a hit song honestly. I wanted to only make music. You can’t plan hits. They happen. No plans would ever work out because music has to touch people’s hearts. Creating music is an extremely pure process for me and I do it with all my heart and actually have a lot of fun. Creating the best music needs divine intervention and no strategy can get you to create music. So, I try to find songs that touch my heart first. I listen to it like an audience. And I judge it instantly. If a song doesn’t hook me at the first listen, then that’s not the song for me. I feel music has to catch people’s attention instantly. It’s a very simple formula I apply when it comes to choosing my songs and I have been fortunate that more often than not, my instincts have been somewhat accurate. It has been amazing to have found and delivered so many good songs to audiences through my films. It is an emotionally overwhelming feeling when people groove and sing to the songs that I have found or created. I have been blessed that people have loved these songs and they have achieved cult status amongst the youth in my 20-year career. I’m hoping that I have created my best music for Saiyaara. It is one of my most special films and it has a story that I wanted to tell. So, I’m very emotionally attached to Saiyaara’s music and I hope it entertains people worldwide.”
When asked more about Saiyaara, Mohit Suri said, “You can expect a lot of heart from Saiyaara. It is a love story that is unique and it has a lot of soul too. I wanted to tell a story of young romance that can transcend every challenge and Saiyaara is my homage to the classic love stories that all of us have grown up on. I really hope that people connect with the purity with which we have tried to tell the story of Saiyaara.”
More Pages: Saiyaara Box Office Collection
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