Ahaan Panday finally breaks silence on whether a fan watching Saiyaara with IV drip was part of a promotional stunt

In one of the most unexpected success stories of 2025, debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda have taken the box office by surprise with their romantic drama Saiyaara. Directed by Mohit Suri, the film has emerged as one of last year’s highest-grossing releases, alongside big-ticket titles like Dhurandhar and Chhaava.

Among the many viral moments, one particular video drew widespread attention. A man in a Mumbai cinema hall was seen watching Saiyaara while hooked up to an IV drip. While many social media users were moved by his apparent dedication, others speculated that the incident was a staged marketing strategy by the film’s team.

Addressing the controversy, Ahaan Panday spoke about the incident in a recent interview with Esquire India. The actor clarified that the man seen in the viral clip was undergoing dialysis at the time.

“You know what, that was actually a person who had dialysis. Mohit sir found out later because we were curious about how all of this was happening,” Ahaan said, effectively dismissing rumours that the video was part of a promotional stunt.

Speaking about the film’s widespread resonance, Ahaan reflected on why Saiyaara connected so deeply with viewers. He suggested that audiences may have been yearning for authenticity. “For so many years, we had such a set way of thinking about how things had to be done. It became so rigid. Maybe people just wanted something with artists not trying to be perfect. Romance is not perfect. Love is never perfect,” he said.

Directed by Mohit Suri, Saiyaara went on to become one of the biggest Hindi film successes of 2025, with a spectacular theatrical run across India and overseas. The romantic drama ultimately grossed an estimated ₹570 crore worldwide by the end of its theatrical run, outperforming several major past blockbusters and securing its place as one of the year’s top-grossing Indian films.