Shantanu Deshpande slams ‘Saiyaara’ hype; says ‘falling in love with a brand or movie feels impossible now’
Bombay Shaving Company founder raises questions on film's promotional tactics as Saiyaara crosses Rs 373.7 crore worldwide.
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Bombay Shaving Company founder Shantanu Deshpande in a recent episode of the Asymmetric podcast, made scathing remarks about the viral frenzy surrounding the runaway box office hit Saiyaara. Deshpande alleged that the film’s makers have resorted to orchestrated performances in theatres to fuel social media buzz and create a false sense of emotional connect.
“What’s happening with this ridiculous Saiyaara movie? They’ve basically gone and paid Rs 500 in 'dehadi' to lots of Gen Z folks to go into theatres and put on emotional performances, crying, ripping shirts when the movie ends, all of it captured and circulated online,” Deshpande said, calling out what he described as a lack of authenticity in storytelling and fan engagement today.
“Culturally, it feels like the whole world has become a bunch of performers. Storytelling authenticity is very low,” he added. “Falling in love with a brand or a movie feels impossible now.”
Despite the criticism, Saiyaara, starring debutants Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, continues to dominate the box office. As of Sunday, the film has collected a staggering Rs 373.7 crore globally, including Rs 247.25 crore in India and Rs 77 crore from overseas markets, according to trade portal Sacnilk. Over the weekend alone, the film earned Rs 56.5 crore (Rs 30 crore on Sunday and Rs 26.5 crore on Saturday).
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh described Saiyaara as a "record-smashing" phenomenon. “At this stage, no one can confidently predict where its lifetime total will land. Rs 300 crore is well within reach, and the big question now is: Can Saiyaara hit Rs 400 crore?” he wrote.
