Anand L Rai : I am a selfish director

Looking back at Aanand L Rai's filmography, it is clear that the filmmaker enjoys working with his cast of actors. Rai, who directed Tanu Weds Manu (2011) with Kangana Ranaut in the lead, later collaborated with her on Tanu Weds Manu: Returns (2015). He produced Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), which starred Ayushmann Khurrana, and collaborated with the same actor for Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020). Similarly, he collaborated with Dhanush in Raanjhanaa (2013) and most recently in Atrangi Re (2021). The same film starred Akshay Kumar, with whom Rai will collaborate again in his upcoming film Raksha Bandhan. 

When asked about his working style with his cast, Rai says, "I am a selfish director. Only when I feel my character can go to this particular actor and they can do justice to it is when I approach them.” He further explains, “See, I worked with Dhanush after 8 years! For me, my story, my film, my character is more important than anything else.”

In an earlier chat with BT, Rai had explained that every time he reunites with his actors he has a fear of losing magic. He had said, “When you collaborate with the same actor you know each other too well. So what worries me is that will we be able to create the same kind of magic again? Knowing each other so well… the magic can lose. You know each other so well that everything is smooth and then if everything is smooth where is that moment of surprise?”