Kartik Aaryan-Sreeleela's Film Pushed To 2026; Anurag Basu Responds To Claims Of Saiyaara Impact
Kartik Aaryan and Anurag Basu's upcoming romantic musical is now set for a 2026 release, with the director addressing recent industry speculation.
By ETV Bharat Entertainment Team
Published : July 21, 2025 at 6:28 PM IST
Hyderabad: The excitement has been building for the upcoming romantic musical drama bringing together Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan and filmmaker Anurag Basu. With the film initially expected to release on Diwali 2025, it's now been pushed to early 2026, prompting a lot of speculation throughout the industry. Rumours quickly swirled that the delay may have been influenced by the massive success of director Mohit Suri's Saiyaara, which is dominating the box office. But now, Anurag Basu has broken his silence on the matter, setting the record straight.
In response to industry rumours that Saiyaara disrupted and delayed his forthcoming project, Basu claimed that they were misguided. He admitted that there are some similarities with both films, especially how both stories are about rising musical stars and deep romantic stories, but the filmmaker categorically denied that the Kartik Aaryan-starrer was altered or delayed due to any external pressure.
"Given that both films feature performers as central characters, we knew comparisons would be drawn. But the two films are completely different from each other," Basu told a newswire, brushing aside concerns that his project might be overshadowed or creatively influenced by Saiyaara.
He also addressed the delay more directly, attributing it to scheduling conflicts rather than industry competition. "Kartik was busy with Karan Johar's film (Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri), and I was also occupied with Metro's release. We'll soon move on to our next schedule and aim to wrap the film soon," he added.
Despite his clarification, sources within the film industry maintain a different perspective. An insider revealed that after Saiyaara's strong reception, both critically and commercially, the makers of the untitled Kartik Aaryan project took stock of the similarities in storyline and character arcs. As a result, portions of the script were reportedly rewritten, with discussions of reshoots also surfacing.
"Both Saiyaara and the Kartik-Sreeleela film have similar themes - they follow two young music stars dealing with fame and love. The makers didn't want people to compare the two films, as it might change how audiences see the new one," a source told a newswire, hinting that the creative team may have taken preventive steps to distance the film from Saiyaara's narrative.
The upcoming film is said to be a spiritual successor to the Aashiqui franchise. While T-Series has yet to acquire the official rights to the Aashiqui title - owing to a legal battle with Vishesh Films - the movie is expected to feature a reworked version of the classic title track. Although no official title has been announced yet, fans have already dubbed it the Aashiqui 3 they've been waiting for.
The casting of South star Sreeleela opposite Kartik Aaryan has added to the excitement. Their pairing has been touted as a major draw for the film, with insiders claiming their on-screen chemistry will be one of the film's strongest assets.
Interestingly, Saiyaara itself was originally envisioned by Mohit Suri as part of the Aashiqui lineage, though that association never materialised.
While Basu has maintained that his film's delay was unrelated to Saiyaara, industry watchers note that the ripple effect of Saiyaara's success has already impacted other scheduled releases. Most notably, Ajay Devgn's Son of Sardaar 2, which was due to release on July 25, has now been pushed to August 1. While no official explanation has been given for the date change, sources indicate that it was a strategic decision. The filmmakers wanted to provide Saiyaara some space at the box office and avoid the risk of direct competition.
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