Bollywood: 'Tere Ishk Mein' Anand L. Rai's Attempt at 'Raanjhanaa' Falls Short with 5 Major Flaws

Anand L. Rai, the renowned Hindi cinema director who delivered the successful Varanasi-set film 'Raanjhanaa' in 2013, has once again ventured into a story of unrequited love. His recently released film, 'Tere Ishk Mein', starring Dhanush and Kriti Sanon, was an attempt to replicate the essence of 'Raanjhanaa'. While the film has made a significant impact at the box office, collecting 52 crore rupees. Within three days of its release, it's marred by several shortcomings that might disappoint viewers. Himanshu Sharma, the writer of 'Raanjhanaa', collaborated with Neeraj Yadav on the script. For 'Tere Ishk Mein', but it appears they overlooked logical consistency this time.

The Confusing Narrative

The story of 'Tere Ishk Mein' mirrors the dialogue from the web series 'Maharani 4': “Whenever you think you understand Bihar, Bihar surprises you. ” Throughout its 2-hour and 47-minute runtime, the film presents numerous twists where the audience believes they grasp the plot, only for a new track or suspense to emerge, making it feel more like a psychological suspense thriller than a romantic musical.

The defining characteristic of 'Raanjhanaa' was its straightforward, singular love story of Kundan's unrequited affection for Zoya and his willingness to do anything for her, while in contrast, 'Tere Ishk Mein' features not one, but multiple storylines: Shankar's love for Mukti, Shankar's father losing his life due to his son's love and his dream of his son flying a fighter jet, and the story of the Air Force where their most skilled pilot is battling mental stress. At the beginning, it feels as if the audience might have mistakenly entered the wrong theater, but with patience, it becomes clear that the film is correct, it has just been steered in the wrong direction.

A Dull First Half

The first half of the film is notably bland and unengaging, while the second half feels somewhat better, though the climax lacks the impact of 'Raanjhanaa'. Shankar (Dhanush) is a law student at Delhi University, yet there isn't a single scene in the film depicting him studying. On the other hand, Mukti (Kriti Sanon) prepares a 2200-page thesis for her PhD, but her professors mock her topic. The film features some powerful dialogues, such as “If I fall in love, I will burn down all of Delhi,” but it also includes many one-liner punchlines that would be more accurately described as vulgar, as no regard for language or decorum has been maintained.

Underutilization of the Title Song

The title song 'Tere Ishk Mein' was extensively used in the film's teaser, trailer, and other promotional materials, building anticipation among the audience. However, the filmmakers failed to integrate the song effectively into the film itself, while no suitable situation was created within the movie to properly feature the 3-minute song. The film contains several intense scenes where the song could have. Been used to amplify their emotional impact, but this opportunity was missed. The song is only featured once in the film, failing to fully capitalize on its potential.

The Illogical Law Student

Dhanush's character, Shankar, isn't only a law student but also the president of the Delhi University Student Union. However, one of the weakest aspects of his character is that despite being a law student and a student union president, he's unaware of UPSC. He only knows that it's an exam, and if he wants to win his love, he must pass it. In Shankar's words, the full form of UPSC is stated as 'Uttar Pradesh Secondary School', which seems unbelievable for an educated character and raises questions about the story's credibility.

Kriti Sanon's Flawed Character

It's not just Dhanush; Kriti Sanon's character, Mukti, also needed more development from the writers. The biggest flaw in this character is that she holds a PhD in Psychology, works as a psychologist, and serves as a counselor in Defense, whose job is to help people overcome mental stress, yet she herself is suffering from mental stress. This contradiction diminishes the character's depth and makes it difficult for the audience to connect with her. In summary, the film has numerous flaws, and detailing all of them would lead to spoilers. In a nutshell, if you wish to watch this film, you will have to set aside logic and overlook many of its narrative inconsistencies.