Last Updated:
Saiyaara star Varun Badola reacts to viral theatre frenzy, saying PR team went overboard with IV drip stunts and bangles-breaking antics. Calls success real.
Varun Badola played Ahaan Panday’s father in Saiyaara.
Ahaan Panday’s debut film Saiyaara may be breaking box office records, but not everyone is on board with how the film has been promoted. Veteran actor Varun Badola, who played Ahaan’s father in the romantic drama, has taken a subtle yet scathing dig at the film’s PR machinery.
The Mohit Suri directorial, also starring Aneet Padda, has now crossed the Rs 500 crore mark globally, with over Rs 300 crore earned in India alone. While its box office run has been historic, Saiyaara also went viral for dramatic audience reactions — fans fainting, crying uncontrollably, tearing their shirts, and even showing up to theatres hooked to IV drips.
While producer Akshaye Widhani and director Suri have maintained that the reactions were organic and not planted, Varun Badola offered a more grounded take in an interview with Screen. “When we were working on the film, we hadn’t thought it would get so big… But on the third day of the release, when the film blew up at the box office, we realized it had gone big. I still haven’t watched Saiyaara,” he revealed.
Commenting on the viral videos, Badola didn’t hold back: “By the third or fourth day, the film was being talked about. I saw the euphoria on Instagram. Log jo chudiyaan tod rahe hai, chaatiyaan peet rahe hai (People were breaking bangles and beating their chests). I think the promotions team went a little overboard… putting IV drips. Those people must have been told to give content. Thank god, people didn’t get their legs broken and go crawling to see the film.”
Despite his candid remarks, Badola acknowledged the film’s real impact. “It’s okay. We understand promoting the film, but it’s good only up to a certain level. However, the film cannot earn so much money just based on Instagram promotions. People have gone and seen the film, and they have loved it,” he concluded.
With Saiyaara continuing its golden run, Ahaan Panday has officially arrived in Bollywood.
Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, …Read More
Shrishti Negi is a journalist with over eight years of experience in the media industry. She leads the Entertainment desk at News18.com. She writes breaking news stories, generates feature ideas, edits copies, … Read More
Check latest Bollywood news updates, events and award shows, upcoming hindi movies releases, exclusive interviews, box office collections, reviews, trailers, and more! Download the News18 App
view comments
