Mohit Suri’s romantic drama Saiyaara has been enjoying a dream run at the box office, having crossed Rs. 500 crore globally.

While it received an outpouring of love, controversy has emerged after a section of viewers alleged that the plot was lifted from the Korean romantic drama, A Moment to Remember (2004).

Now, the film’s writer, Sankalp Sadanah has addressed the comparisons, dismissing the claims. “So much has already been said. All I can say is — the Korean film is out there, and so is Saiyaara. Watch both and judge for yourself. You’ll be able to tell whether it’s inspired, a copy, or an original,” he said during a recent conversation with trade analyst Komal Nahta.

He also shared that Saiyaara was born from a casual meeting with Mohit in Mumbai. “There was talk of a sequel to another project — Aashiqui 3 to be precise. As I was leaving, Mohit asked me to stay and listen to something. He then asked if it was worth building into a film,” Sankalp recalled.

Interestingly, A Moment to Remember is itself a Korean adaptation of the 2001 Japanese TV drama Kimi ga Boku wo Wasuretemo. Each of these three projects follows the story of a man who falls in love with a woman diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease.