Mumbai: ‘Saiyaara’ producer Akshaye Widhani has broken his silence on reports of paid crying and fainting videos from theatres and said that none of the people were planted by the filmmakers.
In an interview with India Today, Akshaye dismissed the narrative of promotional campaigns.
“Whether it’s the person on a drip, the one yelling at the screen, or the guy who took off his shirt and danced – these are genuine fans reacting with real emotions. It’s funny when you start receiving calls from people telling you how much they cried, and you’re actually thanking them for it,” Akshaye said.
Talking about the ’emotional connection’ between the audience and the film, he said, “You find yourself saying, ‘We’re happy you cried,’ because that’s the kind of emotional connection Mohit has managed to create after so long. This experience of going to the cinema and feeling something so deeply – I honestly can’t remember the last time it happened.”
After the release of Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda’s romantic drama, several videos of people screaming, crying, and fainting in theatres while watching ‘Saiyaara’ went viral on social media.
In a recent video on Reddit, a man with an IV drip attached to his hand was seen watching the film and wiping his tears.
In another video, he was seen roaming around late at night on a deserted street with the IV drip, while the ‘Saiyaara’ title track played in the background.
Such videos sparked speculation of paid promotional campaign for the film’s success.
Gendu generation crying after seeing saiyara in theaters
🤣 pic.twitter.com/l9IgAnNwsZ— Woke Eminent (@WokePandemic) July 21, 2025
