Birthday Special: Top films must watch films produced Aanand L Rai

Aanand L Rai’s films often tend to strike the perfect note in people’s hearts. Whether it was Tanu Weds Manu or its sequel, Raanjhanaa or even Atrangi Re, the audience were dazzled by the unusual nature of his stories but also how found human stories beneath the core. Before making his debut as a filmmaker with the psychological thriller Strangers, Rai started his career as an assistant to his older brother, TV director Ravi Rai, on TV shows.

We’re bringing you the top 5 Rai-directed and produced films today in honour of his birthday:

NIL BATTEY SANNATA (2015)
Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari

Apu, a daughter of Chanda who lives in Agra but is not a diligent student, is featured in this touching story. Apu doesn’t have huge aspirations, but Chanda does, and she wants her daughter to realise hers. In order to make ends meet and make enough money to give Apu the career she wants, Chanda works four jobs. Nil Battey Sannata is a must-watch movie because of the mother-daughter duo (Swara Bhaskar and Ria Shukla) that is shown in it. It makes a compelling case for how education may transform a person’s life.

RAANJHANAA (2013)
Director and producer: Aanand L Rai

Raanjhanaa, starring Dhanush, Sonam Kapoor, and Abhay Deol was released in 2013, reinvented the genre with its captivating depiction of a passionate and fantastical love story. Almost ten years later, Raanjhanaa continues to be a unique hardcore beautiful love story. A small-town man who has loved a girl since he was a young child eventually discovers that his love has not been returned. He later causes a horrific tragedy as a result of a spur-of-the-moment decision, which he tries to atone for before finally finding peace and forgiveness.

TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS (2015)
Director and producer: Aanand L Rai

Manu, an NRI doctor, comes to India in search of a bride and falls in love with Tanu. Poles apart from her suitor, Tanu, a fun-loving girl, rather enlists his help in eloping with her lover. Starring Kangana Ranaut, R Madhavan and Jimmy Shergill in the lead, the movie was an instant hit, and the fans were in awe of this unusual love story.

NEWTON (2017)
Director: Amit Masurkar

The movie, which Rai believes is a must-see, follows the journey of a government employee who is assigned electoral responsibility in a politically unstable area of Central India and shows how he attempts to hold a fair and free election despite numerous challenges from security services and the looming threat of communist rebel guerrilla attacks.

TUMBBAD (2018)
Director: Rahi Anil Barve

In search of undiscovered treasure in 19th-century India, a father and his son in this movie encounter a legendary demon. A Brahmin family’s three generations are central to the story. The story focuses on the essence of human desire and its insatiability. This movie is a must-see because Sohum Shah and others did such amazing work on it. Along with Sohum Shah, Mukesh Shah, and Amita Shah, Rai produced this film.