When a Bollywood movie becomes a hit, people often worry it will start a trend of similar films that copy the original story and style. This has happened many times, with filmmakers and production houses quickly making similar movies to cash in on the success without creating something new. After the huge success of Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara, everyone is waiting to see how many new musical romantic dramas will follow.
One project getting attention is Anurag Basu’s upcoming film, starring Kartik Aaryan and Sreeleela, which is the third part of the Aashiqui franchise. Like Saiyaara and Mohit Suri’s Aashiqui 2 (2013), the male lead in this film is a rockstar musician, leading to comparisons between the projects. Since Saiyaara, starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, became a hit, there have been rumors that Anurag’s team was rewriting their script to avoid similarities. However, Anurag Basu denied these rumors, saying the similarities are small. He told Mid-day, “Mohit and I are very close. I’m happy for his film’s success. The only similarity in our films is that the male lead is a rockstar, and the story is about his journey.”
It was a pleasure to meet Bollywood filmmaker Shri Anurag Basu and renowned actors Mr Kartik Aaryan and Ms. Sreeleela at my official residence, Mintokgang.
They have been in the state for a week, shooting their upcoming film at iconic locations such as MG Marg and Tsomgo Lake.… pic.twitter.com/ycwHB8R7IG
— Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) (@PSTamangGolay) April 2, 2025
Saiyaara tells the story of a young couple facing challenges when the woman is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Anurag, who knew the storyline because Mohit shared it with him, said their films are different. He added, “In my film, the girl doesn’t have dementia or any [other condition]. We are not rewriting or re-shooting. I knew beforehand that the girl had Alzheimer’s disease in Saiyaara. So, why would I write the same [plot point] in mine?”
KARTIK AARYAN – SREELEELA TO STAR IN ANURAG BASU – BHUSHAN KUMAR’S NEXT… FIRST LOOK IS HERE… DIWALI 2025 RELEASE… #KartikAaryan and #Sreeleela will essay lead roles in producer #BhushanKumar‘s forthcoming film [not titled yet].
Directed by #AnuragBasu, the heart-wrenching… pic.twitter.com/iLx3CVV218
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) February 15, 2025
Originally, Mohit Suri pitched Saiyaara as Aashiqui 3, but it didn’t work out. Instead, he made it as a new project. Meanwhile, Aashiqui 2 producers Bhushan Kumar (T-Series) and Mukesh Bhatt (Vishesh Films) hired Anurag Basu and Kartik Aaryan for the third Aashiqui film. After Bhushan and Mukesh parted ways, a legal dispute over using the Aashiqui title led to a Delhi High Court ruling in Mukesh’s favor, preventing the film from being called Aashiqui 3.
See Also: Saiyaara Title Track Tops Spotify’s Global Viral 50 Chart; Beats Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga & More
