Bollywood has always been a place of unpredictability. One Friday a filmmaker is celebrated as a genius and the next the same director may be criticised for delivering a disaster. Mohit Suri’s career perfectly mirrors this high-risk world. Known for emotional storytelling and hit romances Suri has given Bollywood memorable films like Aashiqui 2 Ek Villain (2014) and Two States. Yet he has also tasted failure none bigger than his 2022 film Ek Villain Returns. What went wrong with Ek Villain Returns? Released with heavy buzz in July 2022 Ek Villain Returns was designed as the sequel to the 2014 hit Ek Villain starring Sidharth Malhotra Shraddha Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh. The sequel featured Arjun Kapoor John Abraham Disha Patani and Tara Sutaria in lead roles. Despite its star cast and aggressive promotions the film collapsed immediately after release. Critics tore it apart calling the script “illogical” and “weak.” One review bluntly stated that watching it made audiences “hold their heads in disbelief.” Even fans dismissed it as “bakwaas.” The financial outcome was just as grim. Made on a budget of Rs 72 crore the movie barely scraped together Rs 43 crore in India and Rs 60 crore worldwide. It could not even recover its costs. IMDb users rated it 4.4/10 sealing its fate as one of the biggest disappointments of 2022. How did Saiyara change everything? Fast forward to 2025 and Mohit Suri stunned everyone with Saiyara. Starring Ahan Panday and Aniit Padda the film not only became a rage in theatres but also brought Suri back into the limelight. Saiyara was everything that Ek Villain Returns was not: fresh gripping and emotionally engaging. Audiences showered love and the film raced past Rs 550 crore at the box office making it one of the year’s highest-grossing movies. Trade analysts reported collections of Rs 579.23 crore proving that Suri still had the magic touch when paired with the right story. What does this mean for Mohit Suri’s career? With Saiyara Suri has regained the trust of both audiences and producers. His ability to rise from the ashes of a flop and deliver a blockbuster shows the resilience that defines successful filmmakers in Bollywood. Today he stands tall once again his creative vision validated his reputation restored. Highlights Mohit Suri faced a career setback in 2022 with Ek Villain Returns which failed at the box office. His 2025 film Saiyara starring Ahan Panday and Aniit Padda crossed Rs 579 crore globally. The blockbuster reestablished Suri as one of Bollywood’s leading directors.