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Mohit Suri reveals he was replaced in Aashiqui 3 after flops, even by his family. Says the franchise has become a “project, not a film.”
Filmmaker Mohit Suri has revealed that he was dropped from Aashiqui 3 by his own family after a string of flops, admitting the studio didn’t want to wait for him.
Filmmaker Mohit Suri has seen his fair share of highs and lows in Bollywood. After enduring a rough patch with films like Malang and Ek Villain Returns, he made a thunderous comeback with Saiyaara, his biggest hit to date, which crossed the ₹500 crore mark globally. Yet, despite his resurgence, Mohit candidly admitted that he lost out on directing Aashiqui 3—a project he had been personally developing—partly because of his poor strike rate at the time.
In a conversation with Shubhankar Mishra on YouTube, the director revealed that he was working on Aashiqui 3 with the intention to helm it, but the studio decided to move forward without him. “They didn’t want to wait for me to fine-tune the script. It’s true they judged me based on my recent flops. Even my own family, who were part of the decision-making, weren’t willing to wait. I don’t blame them, it’s a business. But I wasn’t trying to prove them wrong—I wanted to prove myself wrong,” Mohit said.
‘Never Listen When You’re Low’
Opening up about the mental pressure he faced, Mohit recalled how he was consumed by external advice after Ek Villain Returns. “Never listen to anybody when you’re low, because they’ll push you further down,” he reflected. “When you’ve been working for 20 years and your film flops, the fear is that the best is behind you. People had already started saying that.”
Mohit also admitted that in trying to chase box office success, he lost sight of authenticity. “With Ek Villain 2, I was ticking boxes—making a sequel, remixing songs, casting multiple leads. I wanted to recreate the ₹16 crore opening of Ek Villain, but I was making the film for the wrong reasons. It blew up in my face.”
‘How Can I Make Aashiqui Without Aditya and Shraddha?’
Despite losing out on Aashiqui 3 and even Awarapan 2, Mohit insists he has no regrets after Saiyaara’s success. “How can I make Aashiqui without Aditya and Shraddha? The first film opened at ₹3 crore—not huge numbers—but it became a cult classic over time. Today, people want to use the brand name to create a project. I don’t know if I fit into that anymore,” he explained.
He confirmed that while he had been developing the script, the producers moved on to Anurag Basu, who is now directing a romantic drama starring Kartik Aaryan and Sreeleela. Interestingly, the film hasn’t been officially titled Aashiqui 3.
Anurag Basu on Comparisons With Saiyaara
Speaking to Mid-Day, Anurag Basu addressed speculation that his upcoming film may resemble Saiyaara. “Mohit and I are very close. I’m happy for his film’s success. The only similarity is that the male lead is a rockstar. Otherwise, the story is very different. I knew beforehand that Saiyaara’s plot had Alzheimer’s. Why would I write the same thing again?”
The Larger Impact of Saiyaara
Beyond Mohit’s personal triumph, Saiyaara’s massive success has sent ripples across the industry. Trade reports suggest that many established stars are baffled by how newcomers managed to deliver such a colossal hit. For Mohit, though, the film represents more than just box office glory—it’s redemption, a reminder that even after setbacks, creativity can stage a powerful comeback.
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun…Read More
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun… Read More
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September 06, 2025, 20:02 IST
