Tanu Weds Manu gave me my identity in Bollywood
Jo ek apnapan tha, it was owned by the audienceso beautifully. AANAND L RAI,
Filmmaker
Ten years ago, Aanand L Rai presented raw emotions through his film Tanu Weds Manu, and the film turned out to be a sleeper hit. The filmmaker, who had two prior not-so-successful outings, is forever indebted to the audience for loving the Kangana Ranaut and R Madhavan-led movie.
“It feels very nice to reach this milestone and I am thankful that I was allowed to tell this story so honestly. This film gave me my identity in Bollywood. It is a great feeling to be associated with a story like this and receive so much love from the audience,” shares Rai, who is busy with his next, Atrangi Re.
Taking a walk down memory lane, the filmmaker, 49, reminisces, “The only thing I remember is that I felt fearless while making the film. Nobody, not for a single day, wondered ki ‘kya yeh picture chalegi.’ I did feel something magical was happening.” And this despite minor hiccups. “It was made in a very tight budget. Commercially and financially, we were in a tight spot but it never looked like a hurdle,” he adds.
Rai feels the reason why the film still remains in public memory is because of its relatability. “The reason it became a part of our life was because it was our life. It was Indian to its core and it was culture that was actually us. Jo ek apnapan tha, it was owned by the audience so beautifully,” he says.
The film’s 10th anniversary also marks 10 years of his production house, and Rai could not have asked for a better journey. “Eleven years back, I was struggling to direct a film. And in these 10 years, if I could help others make their films, it makes me very happy. I always let a lot of new directors use this path to make their own journey,” he concludes.