The box office success of Saiyaara has been a topic of wide discussion over the past month. The film has performed exceptionally well, crossing ₹300 Cr at the domestic box office, and becoming the second-highest grosser of 2025 in India, behind Chhaava, at the time of writing this report. A popular theory attributes this success to the influence of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012, currently aged 13-28). It’s an easy conclusion to draw, given the film’s genre and debutant cast. But is it really true? Can one audience segment alone propel a film with no franchise or star value to cross the ₹300 Cr mark? This analysis explores that question.

Ormax Power Rating (OPR), our proprietary 0-100 metric of audience likeability and advocacy, is central to answering it. Widely used in our content testing, OPR is a strong indicator of word-of-mouth. A score of 60 or higher signals robust engagement and advocacy. In box office terms, it suggests a higher sustenance ratio, i.e., stronger lifetime collections relative to the first weekend. OPR is tracked for all major films and shows for at least four weeks after release. Saiyaara’s OPR tracking concluded this week with a strong score of 65.

The key question: How does the film's OPR split by generation? Among Gen Z, the OPR stands at 68, compared to 63 for audiences aged 29+. While the five-point difference is in line with the genre’s natural skew towards younger viewers, it is not large enough to suggest that Gen Z alone explains the film’s phenomenal run.

However, once we cut the data further by gender within each generation, the findings, illustrated in the chart below, are striking.

For women, the OPR remains almost identical across the two generations. But among men, the divide is sharp, with a staggering 10-point gap between Gen Z and older men. Gen Z men rate the film almost as highly as women, while older men emerge as the weak link. With an OPR of 56, their engagement with Saiyaara’s story and characters is merely average.

The male divide

The drop in OPR among older men is best understood in the context of their cinematic motivations. For Gen Z men, life often revolves around navigating love, identity, and heartbreak. Saiyaara validates these experiences, giving form to emotions that are often difficult to articulate. For this audience, content is not just entertainment. It becomes a tool for self-discovery.

It helps that Krish Kapoor, the film’s protagonist, feels like “one of us” to this segment. At 22, he is rebellious, stylish, and restless - smoking, flaunting Air Jordans, and racing across Mumbai’s flyovers. But beneath the bravado lies emotional depth. When Vaani, his partner, is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he doesn’t walk away. He stays, putting brakes on his rising music career to support her, even as she continues to inspire him quietly. For a generation of young men still chasing the idea of “true love,” the message resonates deeply. Saiyaara tells them the “forever” they’ve half-dismissed may still exist. Even for a man who rides too fast and lives too loud.

By contrast, men in their late 20s (or older) - moving out of Gen Z into marriage, parenthood, and careers - often turn to cinema for escapism rather than emotional exploration. Films are expected to offer distraction, not soul-searching. For them, Saiyaara may be a good film, but not an essential one. The 10-point OPR gap reflects this pivot in life-stage priorities.

The female constant

Why does the same generational divide not appear among women? The answer lies in the timeless appeal of themes like love, empathy, and emotional connection. For women, these themes are less tied to life stage and more integral to identity. Stories centered on relationships remain relevant across age groups.

Saiyaara leverages this by shaping Krish’s character arc with emotional nuance. He begins as a walking red flag - impulsive, reactive, self-indulgent. But over the course of the film, he grows. Instead of letting trauma define him, he chooses resilience. He stays with someone in pain not out of duty, but desire. He sacrifices ambition for love. Not with melodrama, but with sincerity.

Academic research on gender and emotional expression suggests women are socialized, and to some extent biologically predisposed, to prioritize relational bonds and view stories through an empathy-first lens. Saiyaara rewards this orientation. It offers not just a moving story, but a demonstration that unwavering commitment still exists. For women, the film is not merely good. It is necessary.