Saiyaara starring film debutants Ahaan Panday & Aneet Padda defied expectations, earning almost 600 crore globally, including close to 20 million dollars in overseas markets, and becoming the highest-grossing love story in the history of Indian cinema! It shocked and stunned the Indian entertainment industry and gave the country two Gen Z sweethearts that everyone is unanimously showering their love on.
Saiyaara is now being hailed as the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) and Kaho Na Pyaar Hai of this generation due to the Cultural Impact the film as well as Ahaan & Aneet have had on Indians and South Asians worldwide. Ahaan & Aneet’s launch is considered the biggest ever, matching the hype that Hrithik Roshan & Ameesha Patel received 25 years back! The character they played - Krish Kapoor & Vaani Batra are being likened to the iconic stature of Raj & Simran from DDLJ!
Today, the Gen Z fans of Ahaan and Aneet celebrated their favorite on-screen icons in the sweetest way ever by naming a star in the sky Saiyaara! Here’s the link to their post:
Ahaan and Aneet were overwhelmed by this gesture of love. While Ahaan said, “The real star is you, thank you for shining so brightly, I remember the day Saiyaara left theatres, everything had happened and I hadn’t let any of it sink in. Seeing this now feels like the film found its place in the universe, somewhere in the galaxy where beautiful things go after they leave. My words don’t quite hold what I feel, because what I feel is too beautiful to be put into words, but this is magical beyond. measure, thank you truly,” Aneet added, “Sometimes I think the film ended. Then you do something like this and I realize stories don’t end, they just find new skies 💗 one star may be named Saiyaara, but the real galaxy has always been you all. Thank you for making our story feel infinite.”
Recently, Bollywood legend, Aamir Khan, spoke about Saiyaara and Ahaan-Aneet’s pop culture impact in media. He attributed the film’s popularity to its emotional sincerity and youthful energy, noting Gen‑Z is drawn to authenticity and relatability.
Never before has a love story aimed for the Gen Z become a rage theatrically. It busted another myth that young adults were not going to theaters anymore or that they were not considering anyone as their icons anymore. Saiyaara’s success showed that Gen Z was only waiting to root for those who represented them on screen, they had to be from their age-group, they had to speak the Gen Z language and be the mascot for the deep, emotional values that Gen Z had within them and were ready to show the world.
Ahaan and Aneet gave them everything they wanted and in spades which is why they turned into overnight stars that no one expected. It is the Gen Z that chose and created their own stars! Ahaan & Aneet became the face of the youth who weren’t scared of showing their vulnerability and emotional depth to each other. Ahaan-Aneet also showed how this generation was not afraid to talk about mental health and wanted to address it head on. They connected to Gen Z on a deeper, emotional level that no one else has been able to reach.
With their meteoric rise, massive media attention, and deep audience connection, they are now two of the most exciting new faces in the Indian entertainment industry through their sheer brilliance as actors to watch out for. Gen Z has time and again shown that they root for sheer talent and Ahaan and Aneet have won them over with theirs. The result - both these young actors are the most engaged celebrities on social media.
According to IMDB, Ahaan and Aneet were voted as the Most Popular Stars in Indian cinema today. They have connected with Gen Z by not being accessible constantly. They have not done a single video interview so far, they have not made any press appearance so far and yet their popularity is astronomical, thus showing everyone that Gen Z likes its icons to let their work do the talking and they will love them unconditionally in return.
