Bollywood films often borrow ideas from foreign movies. The latest to be scrutinized for this is Saiyaara, which is gaining attention for its blatant copying of the 2004 Korean film A Moment to Remember. With more viewers commenting on the parallels in the plot, personalities, and emotional journeys, the question lingers— does Saiyaara cross the line in copying?
Saiyaara was recently released and narrates the sorrowful story of a young couple in which the woman’s love for him is put to the ultimate test when she begins to suffer from memory loss. The emotional underscore and the gradual character memory loss coupled with the partner’s unwavering love has beautifully been lauded. Yet, they also echo the tunes of Korean cinema lovers.
The 2004 Korean classic A Moment to Remember featuring Son Ye-jin and Jung Woo-sung has an almost identical story. A couple has a blissful love story until one partner is afflicted with early-onset Alzheimer’s. The film garnered international acclaim due to its emotional thematic elements and compelling story.
Despite the fact that Saiyaara does not consider itself an official remake, the apposed teaser has received a lot of attention due to the side-by-side similarities people are drawing. A lot of the content blends, emotional breakdowns, flashback content, and even some of the dialogues seem to be inspired by the Korean version. Even though adaptations are not a new concept to Bollywood, people are now rooted to the idea that proper credits are due if a story is taken from a foreign source.
As of now, neither the producers nor the directors of Saiyaara have addressed the issue. That being said the fans from both films are not hesitating to voice their opinion regarding this. A lot of people are siding with the similarities being referred to as a tribute, while the rest of the population is denouncing the idea for being dull and lackluster.
One user commented, “So #SAIYAARA is a copy of this KOREAN FILM! (Read the synopsis.) Mohit Suri has barely made any original film (sic).” Another added, “Yes, totally copy of A Moment to Remember (sic).”
So #SAIYAARA is a copy of this KOREAN FILM! (Read the synopsis)
— Chanduminati (@illuminatiGuyy) July 18, 2025
Mohit Suri has barely made any original film. pic.twitter.com/Oyqx3BgzVB
Mohit Suri Copy List
— Ashwini Roopesh (@AshwiniRoopesh) July 21, 2025
Zeher (2005): Out of Time (2003, American)
Awarapan (2007): A Bittersweet Life (2005, Korean)
Murder 2 (2011): The Chaser (2008, Korean)
Ek Villain (2014): I Saw the Devil (2010, Korean)
Saiyaara (2025): A Moment to Remember pic.twitter.com/gA3dNTmW8s
The conversation of Saiyaara being a tribute, or a direct copy, has still not been resolved. What we do know is that expectations of people today have indeed changed. People want to be respected with the fact that their trust with Bollywood for stealing content without acknowledgement and integrated backstories to be used without credit
