Filmmaker Mohit Suri has long been associated with intense romances, but he jokes that his emotional depth may be reserved more for cinema than real life. Known for crafting heartfelt stories like ‘Saiyaara’ and ‘Aashiqui 2’, Suri continues to blur the line between love and heartbreak on screen, leaving audiences deeply invested in his characters and narratives.Reflecting on his reputation for heartbreak-driven storytelling, Suri laughs it off, sharing with NDTV, “You should ask my wife what she thinks.” Speaking about his equation with Udita Goswami, he shares, “She once urged me to develop my own style, and I did. Now, when we argue seriously, she turns and quips that I save all my emotions for my movies, you have none left for real life.”Despite the humor, Suri clarifies that his intent is not to make audiences emotional for the sake of it. “Such intense passion is rare. These stories stay for a long time. You can dazzle crowds and take their money, but if you truly connect, they’ll cherish you for years,” he adds.Revisiting ‘Aashiqui 2’As ‘Aashiqui 2’ completes 13 years, Suri looks back at a film that reshaped modern Bollywood romance. Starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoorthe film became a defining love story, powered by music and raw emotion rather than a conventional happy ending.Recalling its modest start, Suri says, “It didn’t open big like my prior work. ‘Aashiqui 2’ started small, around 4 crores or so, but held steady.” He admits feeling uncertain initially, until producer Mukesh Bhatt reassured him. Soon after, word-of-mouth turned the film into a phenomenon.The director fondly remembers the early promotional days when the team traveled without the glamor often associated with film campaigns. “Me, Aditya, and Shraddha, no makeup artists, no security, no entourage, hustling in Chandigarh,” he recalls. Even a missed flight led to an unplanned stay at a hotel, paid out of their own pockets.The turning point came quickly. “By landing, they were posing with the entire cabin crew. I wondered, how did word spread so fast?” he says, highlighting the organic buzz that surrounded the film’s success.Mohit Suri on casting fresh faces and taking risksDrawing parallels between ‘Saiyaara’ and ‘Aashiqui 2’, Suri reiterates his belief in casting actors based on potential rather than past success. “New people who are coming from a certain amount of rejection, I don’t believe that decides how good you are,” he explains. “It’s what the director sees in the actor… and having that faith.”Thirteen years on, the impact of ‘Aashiqui 2’ remains unmatched, with fans still chanting “Aarohi” wherever Shraddha Kapoor appears, proof that some love stories, even tragic ones, never fade.
