Filmmaker Mohit Suri says actor Shah Rukh Khan praised the unconventional promotional strategy behind his 2025 hit Saiyaara, which skipped traditional publicity and focused on music-led marketing.

Recalling a meeting at fellow filmmaker Siddharth Anand’s Diwali party, Mohit shared, “The great Shah Rukh Khan told me this was the best thing we did.”

Instead of relying on interviews or star-driven campaigns, the team chose to keep its lead actors away from the spotlight. “Because we didn’t have stars, we focused on making great music and pushed that instead. It felt authentic, and it paid off,” he told Variety India.

The romantic musical marked Ahaan Panday’s Bollywood debut, with co-star Aneet Padda. The film went on to become a blockbuster, earning Rs. 570 crore worldwide and Rs. 329 crore domestically, and ranking among India’s highest-grossing romantic films.