ART OF THE MATTER

AANAND L RAI TALKS ABOUT MAKING SEQUELS AND MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS IN A HEARTY CHAT WITH SUMAN SHARMA

Anand L Rai is so soft spoken and mild natured that it's difficult to envision him as a hard taskmaster waving his whip around on the sets, getting things done through dint of force. Tell him that and he grins and says that sometimes gentle words are enough to move giants. He's a one of a kind filmmaker, not limiting himself to just one genre but believes in throwing his net wide. And he doesn't just run after superstars but casts according to the demands of his script. He has ventured into producing Marathi films as well and plans to segue into other regional cinemas soon. He always speaks from the heart and doesn't hold back as I ask:

What prompted you to make a sequel to Haseen Dillruba?

A sequel is often warranted when the characters have evolved beyond the scope of the original story. After Haseen Dillruba, I felt that while the story had reached a natural conclusion, the characters had grown in ways that warranted further exploration. The audience responded with immense love for the sequel, Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba reinforcing this decision.

In Haseen Dillruba, I was particularly fascinated by how an arranged marriage could transform into a love story. Both Rani and Rishu were so committed to their relationship that they were willing to go to any lengths to be together. This complexity and depth in their characters made me believe that there was more to explore.

Why did you choose Taapsee Pannu to play the title role?