Ahaan Panday & Aneet Padda's Saiyaara: Yash Raj Films & Mohit Suri’s historic blockbuster bags Popular Choice Award at Yellowstone International Film Festival 2025

Yash Raj Films’ historic blockbuster Saiyaara that became the highest grossing romantic film ever in Indian cinema, has added another feather to its cap by winning the Popular Choice Award at the Yellowstone International Film Festival 2025.

The honour was received by the producer of Saiyaara, Akshaye Widhani, CEO (Yash Raj Films) along with the film’s director Mohit Suri at a prestigious film awards ceremony in Mumbai today that celebrated excellence in cinema.

Marking the big-screen debut of now Gen Z sweethearts of the nation, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, Saiyaara has also become the biggest pop culture moment amongst Indians and South Asians worldwide due to its once-in-a-generation cinematic impact of redefining romance in films for the audience. Their historic debut has been likened to the launch that Hrithik Roshan and Ameesha Patel witnessed with Kaho Na Pyaar Hai 25 years back!

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Saiyaara also created history by hitting multiple milestones including the highest ever opening for debutantes, the title track becoming the first Hindi song to feature on the Billboard Top 10 List worldwide, the title track staying as the No 1 song across music streaming platforms for months since its release and it was also the only debutant film to collect a mammoth 580 crore gross at the worldwide box office!

The Popular Choice Award at Yellowstone International Film Festival, the first award for the film as awards season kicks in – once again reaffirms Saiyaara’s extraordinary connection with the audience and how it bought back people to the theatres and ushered a major comeback for romantic films at the box office.

The win at YIFF 2025 also adds to Saiyaara’s growing legacy as a film that has not only triumphed commercially but also emotionally, proving that the love story genre is amongst the biggest ever.

Akshaye Widhani, CEO - Yash Raj Films, said while receiving the honour,“Thank you Yellowstone International Film Festival - this is a great honor. It’s our first award for Saiyaara, so it’s really special so thank you! I think Saiyaara is Mohit, Mohit is Saiyaara. It’s been an amazing journey which started early 2024 and I’m glad that we’re here today celebrating this moment. I think the film, being the highest-grossing love story of all time, is a testament and a moment that makes us really proud. I think Mohit’s done an exceptional job with the film. Thank you to the audiences globally who’ve loved this film, the music, who’ve made it an emotion and accepted our two Gen Z stars, Ahaan and Aneet, who are just exceptional. This award is for the entire cast and crew that worked tirelessly to make this film what it is. A huge shout-out to Sumana, who brought this film to me when my only brief to her was to make a love story and then she goes and gets Mohit Suri and gets us Saiyaara. So, that was really special.”

Director of the blockbuster film Saiyaara, Mohit Suri said, “This is really special. I’ve been around for 20 years, and this is my first award. There have been a lot of firsts with this film - the actors were doing it for the first time, I was making my first film with YRF, and Akshaye was producing his first film. I still remember when I was a kid and went to watch Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in the theatre. That was the first time, the germ, the bug, hit me. I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker. Thank you, Adi sir. In a world where no one seemed to believe in love anymore, you stood by that conviction. You let me make this film when everyone else was busy blowing up buildings and helicopters (I’m not saying that’s not fun!) But you trusted me to go with the script. And Akshaye - this award is more yours than mine. I wouldn’t be here without you. It would’ve been easy to take the safe route for the first film, especially when you have access to so many actors but you believed in this story, a simple film about two young kids and that belief made all the difference.”

Mohit added, “This award is special for one more reason. When I gave the script to Akshaye and Adi sir, they loved it and said they wanted to make it. Not once did either of them say - Make a hit film or a blockbuster. Their only brief was simple - Mohit, we want your best film and best music. They never talked about numbers and that gave me the freedom every filmmaker dreams of the freedom to make the film I truly believed in. It might take 20 years, but if you stay true to your story, the collections and the recognition will come someday.”