Aanand L Rai on ‘Tere Ishq Mein’: My film is different from ‘Animal’

Filmmaker Aanand L Rai is working round the clock for his next film. In your love, Set for release on 27th November. There is excitement in his voice as he tells us how much he loves promoting his films. “Normally, I can’t keep myself awake after 10 pm. But these days, I’m like a young boy, running from one VFX studio to another sound studio,” Rai says with a smile.

It has that youthful blood and stormy, passionate romance in love with youworking in a world like Raanjhanaa (2013), the film starring Dhanush and Kriti Sanon tells an intense love story between the protagonist, Shankar and Mukti. Rai says that he wanted to explore the maturity of love through the film. “There’s a lot of activity going on around, so I thought it was time to start a deeper, mature love story,” he says, adding that his perspective on love has changed over the past ten years.

“We all grow over time through our experiences. Sometimes, you become more practical, sometimes you become emotional and vulnerable. All this increases our understanding of emotion. So, as a filmmaker, I can put it on celluloid and see how others feel about it.”

in love with you This is the third collaboration between Rai and Dhanush Raanjhanaa And strange ray (2021). The director feels that their relationship has grown stronger over the years. “The first time I worked with an actor was when I met him. Now, I have a son,” Rai says, reflecting on the give-and-take nature of relationships in the film industry.

“We are selfish people who are together for a reason. So, if you discover a relationship that is beyond just working in films, it is magical. I can say that my profession has given me something very personal.”

Dhanush and Aanand L Rai during the shooting of ‘Tere Ishq Mein’. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

This is Rai’s third collaboration with AR Rahman, adding a deep complexity to the world In your love, Be it the thrilling title track or the poignant study of sadness in ‘Us Kehna’. Rai calls Rahman a “masterful craftsman” for his amazing ability to convey narrative through music.

“Whenever I have a layered story that has a lot to say, I need that in my life. I can’t carry a movie with that much depth alone. Because RaanjhanaaHe invented something else. For Atrangi Ray, He understood what I wanted as a producer. To me, he is like a strong pillar holding the roof together,” says Rai.

Apart from creating excitement about the coming together of the three actors, the trailer of in love with you It has also sparked discussion around toxic masculinity, with many describing Dhanush’s character as an ‘alpha male’. In one scene, he is shown violently entering a wedding ceremony and setting things on fire, threatening to burn down the town. The film is written by Himanshu Sharma (who also wrote the film). Raanjhanaa) and Neeraj Yadav.

Rai says that he just wanted to tell the story of two different types of people who fall in love with each other. He says, “A story is never conceived with your character being alpha. For me, the character is emotional and sensitive and nothing he does is wrong.” “At the same time, when other people watch the film, they may see the character as alpha. But I can’t do that. I’m also open to conversation, because that’s what you make movies for.”

Aanand L Rai and Dhanush from the sets of ‘Tere Ishq Mein’. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

This romantic drama is also being compared to Sandeep Reddy Vanga Animal (2023) and Kabir Singh (2019). He was criticized by a section of people as a misogynist. Rai feels that his film is different. He says, “It doesn’t belong to the same place. There are similarities in the aggression and anger in the characters. But those are just the content, not the story.”

The director disagrees with that criticism too Raanjhanaa Achieved by normalizing stalking. “I never got the role of Dhanush Raanjhanaa To be a stalker. This is just my view and expression of a boy from Banaras. I don’t understand why we take everything on ourselves. We are just telling stories for entertainment,” he says and concludes, “It is natural for characters to have flaws. I’m just telling a human story of people with flaws. This is not Ramayana or Mahabharata.”