Dhanush, Aanand L Rai do UNO reverse of Raanjhanaa, with Kriti Sanon’s convincing sinister act, but…

Dhanush and Kriti Sanon in Tere Ishk Mein

Director: Aanand L Rai

Cast: Dhanush, Kriti Sanon, Prakash Raj, Anant V Joshi

Duration: 2 hours 49 minutes

Where to watch: In theaters

Rating: 3 stars

Flight lieutenant Shankar Gurukkal (Dhanush), an angry, stubborn, tough guy with serious trust issues, is suspended from flying and recommended for counselling. He soon encounters Indian defense councilor Mukti Behniwal, and her moist eyes reflect the pain and suffering they are experiencing. Mukti and Shankar have a past and how it affects their present and shapes their future forms the crux of the film.

In 2013, Aanand L Rai directed Raanjhanaa, an established romantic drama. This movie became a huge hit and a modern-day classic in romantic movies. However, Raanjhanaa also faced harsh criticism. Tere Ishk Mein is a response to all these fault-finding attackers. Have you ever imagined what would have happened if Raanjhanaa’s Kundan had survived and decided to break up with Zoya (Sonam Kapoor)? Tere Ishk Mein has the essence of the second chance that Kundan deserves. Anand shifts his narrative from Benaras to Delhi. Their characters are shown to be more mature, complex and cunning.

Tere Ishk Mein is the spiritual successor (literally) to the 2013 hit. How, I will give a hint later, but despite a strong plot, serious performances from the main cast and good music, Tere Ishk Mein fails to live up to the huge expectations you hear from these names (Dhanush, Rai, AR Rahman, Irshad Kamil). Tere Ishk Mein could have been the next classic of romantic dramas but it missed the opportunity and ended up being an average movie.

When you have a successful team delivering an iconic film, expectations are very high. I was disappointed when the movie ended, and that was because of my expectations. The first half of the first half is fine, the second half is overly dramatic. However, the players were careful to give their 100%. Dhanush does it again. His transformation from a hopelessly romantic boy to a cold-hearted air force officer is worth applauding for his performance. He reminds you of Kundan many times but also surprises with his simple, angry young man avatar.

Girl Kriti Sanon always stands out with every performance. This time, she will gain hatred thanks to her selfish, rude and confused character, who can use a man, play with his emotions, and treat him like a laboratory mouse for her own interests. Kriti does an amazing job. Prakash Raj is a pleasure to watch. He plays Shankar’s father and provides the best moments of the film. I literally felt emotional for the first time in the serial Prakash Raj and Dhanush. Anant V Joshi also gives good support throughout the film. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub making a surprise cameo in the film is one of the highlights of the film. Zeeshan Ayyub reprises his role from Raanjhanaa and leaves an unexpected, satisfying feeling in the climax.

Now let’s write down the shortcomings. The main reason why Tere Ishk Mein falters is due to sloppy editing. At many points the film feels like it drags on like a never-ending event without any proper closure. The first half itself seems to move slowly with few interesting moments. The second major drawback of the film is the complete absence of logic. Logic was thrown out the window throughout the second half. I watch movies with the benefit of the doubt. It’s okay to believe that the girl dumped a guy and decided to move on. But years later, she comes back into his life, pregnant with another man’s child, and asks Shankar to take care of her baby. There are other series where logic seems to be absent, but none of them surpass the one I mentioned above. After a point, I gave up on logic and was eagerly waiting for the end of the movie. Dialogues are good in some places, flat in most places. Aanand’s direction looks mixed, especially in the second half. Rai has an unspoken pattern. When he becomes ambitious, he loses the plot and the entire narrative is affected.

Overall, Tere Ishk Mein is definitely a one-time watch for Dhanush and Aanand’s fans. Don’t go in with too much expectation, you might cry over Shankar-Mukti’s love saga.