Saiyaara is doing fantastic business at the box office for a film led by two emerging actors - Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. The Mohit Suri-directed romantic musical drama has earned over INR 80 crore in its opening weekend, which is a huge achievement, especially considering its modest reported budget of INR 60 crore. The film is produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF) and has already been declared a hit by trade experts. ‘Saiyaara’ Movie Review: Old-School Tropes Meets Gen-Z Casting in Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda’s Kitschy Romantic Drama.

Fans of Mohit Suri’s work are familiar with his knack for emotionally resonant dramas backed by strong soundtracks. However, there’s another aspect of his filmography that’s often discussed - his tendency to draw heavy inspiration from international cinema, be it Hollywood or Korean films. Most of his notable films are ripoff - examples, Zeher (Out of Time), Kalyug (8MM), Awarapan (A Bittersweet Life), Murder 2 (The Chaser), Aashiqui 2 (A Star is Born), and Ek Villain (I Saw The Devil).

And now, netizens are accusing Saiyaara of being a remake of the 2004 South Korean melodrama A Moment to Remember.

Copy of 2004 Korean Classic

'Same Plot and Scenes'

So is Saiyaara a remake of A Moment to Remember? Find out!

Plot of 'Saiyaara'

Vaani (Aneet Padda), a heartbroken young woman, meets Krish (Ahaan Panday), a struggling, angst-ridden musician. He hires her to write lyrics for his songs. As they work together, they fall in love, and Vaani helps him manage his anger and mend broken relationships with his bandmates. However, just when life starts to look up, Vaani is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Watch the Trailer of 'Saiyaara'

The rest of the film follows Krish as he puts aside his music career to care for Vaani, doing everything he can to help her hold on to the memories of their love.

Plot of 'A Moment to Remember'

Based on the 2001 Japanese TV series Pure Soul, the Korean film follows Kim Su-jin, a spirited fashion designer who falls for and marries Choi Chul-soo, a kind-hearted construction worker. Their blissful married life is disrupted when Su-jin is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. As her memory deteriorates, she forgets even her husband. Chul-soo, undeterred, stays by her side, leaving reminders, and doing everything he can to help her remember their love.

Watch the Trailer of 'A Moment to Remember':

The film ends on a poignant note as Chul-soo re-enacts their first meeting at a convenience store. Su-jin smiles at him, hinting at a flicker of recognition and they drive away towards a happy ending.

Is 'Saiyaara' a Remake of 'A Moment to Remember'?

Saiyaara may not be an an outright frame-to-frame remake of A Moment to Remember, the way Sitaare Zameen Par was a near-direct adaptation of the Spanish film Campeones (which was officially acknowledged).

There are distinct differences between the two films. For instance, the lead couple in A Moment to Remember get married at the onset of the second act, while in Saiyaara, marriage only comes into play in the end-credits. Krish is a stage performer; Chul-soo is a construction worker. While Son Ye-jin’s Su-jin is portrayed as more assertive and outspoken, Vaani comes across as more subdued and soft-spoken.

That said, the core arc - the emotional turmoil of a young couple dealing with Alzheimer's - is strikingly similar. Both female protagonists are jilted lovers when the film begins: Vaani is dumped at the court before her registry marriage, and Su-jin is abandoned at a railway station. Both find new love with emotionally volatile men who eventually show great devotion. Even the male leads share similar visual and personality traits: long hair, a rebellious streak, chain-smoking habits, and dreams of achieving more. Su-jin leaves voice recordings to retain her memories; Vaani writes diary entries.

Several scenes in Saiyaara appear to echo A Moment to Remember. If Krish was unhappy with his father's drunken ways, he put him in rehab at Su-jin's behest, who arranged for money to pay for the facility. In AMTR, Chul-soo is angry with his mother's wayward behaviour and taking heavy loans, and his wife convinces him to forgive her and then arranges for money to pay off her loans. ‘Saiyaara’ Box Office Craze: Fans ‘Cry’, ‘Scream’, and ‘Faint’ in Theatres While Watching Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda’s Movie – Genuine Emotional Displays or Viral PR Stunts? (Watch Videos).

In both films, the woman begins to confuse her current partner with her ex. Su-jin stabs Chul-soo during a confrontation involving her former lover, while later mistaking him for someone else. Similarly, in Saiyaara, Vaani has a moment of confusion where she doesn’t recognise Krish and stabs him when he was beating up her former, now married, boyfriend.

Watch the Scene Below:

The final act in both films also mirrors each other closely. Su-jin leaves her husband and moves into a facility in a remote hill station; Chul-soo searches far and wide and finds her. They reunite on the terrace though she does not remember him at all, but has sketches of him. In Saiyaara, similarly, Krish finds Vaani in an assisted living home in the hills and they also reunite at the balcony of her home. If Chul-soo recreates their first meeting at the supermarket to make her remember him, the in Saiyaara, Krish plays cricket and shouts out the same motivational things he did when he took her out for a bike ride the first time, just to rejog her memories.

Incidentally, just as Krish enjoys practising with a bowling machine in the nets, Chul-soo also has a fondness for playing baseball with a bowling machine, adding another not-so-subtle parallel between the two films.

Conclusion

While Saiyaara may not claim to be a shot-for-shot remake of A Moment to Remember, the similarities are hard to ignore. It borrows heavily from the emotional framework, key plot beats, and even specific scenes of the Korean classic. That said, it attempts to localise the narrative, shifting cultural nuances, character dynamics, and professions to fit the Hindi film audience.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Bollywood has been inspired by A Moment to Remember - Ajay Devgn’s U Me Aur Hum (2008), which starred himself and Kajol, was also loosely based on the same film.

Fact check

Fact Check: Is Mohit Suri’s ‘Saiyaara’ Copied From Korean Drama ‘A Moment To Remember’? Here’s What We Know About Ahaan Panday-Aneet Padda’s Debut Movie (SPOILER ALERT)
Claim :

Saiyaara is a Remake of A Moment to Remember

Conclusion :

While Not an Official Remake, The Hindi Movie is Heavily Inspired by the Korean Classic

Full of Trash
Clean

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 21, 2025 05:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).