Aanand L Rai on working with Dhanush in Tere Ishq Mein: I am comfortable with him
Filmmaker Anand L. Rai praised Dhanush for his ability to bring complex characters to life, making him a natural choice for Rai’s films. Rai also indicated thematic similarities between his upcoming film Tere Ishq Mein and his previous film Raanjhanaa.
Filmmaker Aanand L Rai believes Dhanush has the ability to bring complex and layered characters to life, making him the ideal choice for his films. Aanand and Dhanush have previously worked together in Raanjhanaa (2013) and Atrangi Re (2021), both of which saw Dhanush play unconventional romantic roles. Now, in a recent interview, the director said that Dhanush is his comfort zone and that is why he often casts him for complex characters.
Talking about working with Dhanush, he told PTI, “Dhanush comes in my comfort zone and I am comfortable with him. When I challenge myself with such layered stories, I need good pillars to handle it and Dhanush is one of them.”
Tere Ishq Mein, Anand joined by his regular collaboratorsMusic maestro AR Rahman, lyricist Irshad Kamil and writer Himanshu Sharma are among the many people who are with him. He relies on Rahman for music that matches his cinematic vision. “Whenever I get a heavy story, I want to go to a big actor and Dhanush is someone I trust, another great pillar for me is (AR) Rahman sir. That’s how I look at my films. I never say I can do it alone. I want these people to help me. Then there is a bond and comfort,” he said.
Hinting at thematic similarities between Tere Ishq Mein and Raanjhanaa, Anand clarified that the new film is a unique creation. It is from the world of Raanjhanaa, but is it Raanjhanaa 2? No, it is not. When I say the world of Raanjhanaa, I am talking from the producer’s point of view, I am spending on the emotions that were in Raanjhanaa,” he explained.
He also added, “Similarly, both are tragic, both have angst and anger. The love stories are layered, it’s not a straight man-woman story. That’s why I say it’s from the world of Raanjhanaa because it has both. But both are different stories.”
Speculations are growing about the possible casting of actress Tripati Dimri as the female lead in Tere Ishq Mein. Rai did not confirm it, saying an announcement will be made soon. However, he mentioned that the role of the female lead will be challenging. “When you indulge in a love story, you need to look for chemistry and complexities. This is one of the best characters we are working on. We want to do something different,” he shared.
Talking about his previous films, he said, “Talking about man and woman (relationships), whether it is between Tanu and Manu from Tanu Weds Manu, or Kundan or Zoya (from Raanjhanaa) or Rinku and Vishu (from Atrangi Re). I am looking forward to playing both these characters.”