Ranbir Kapoor Was The 1st Choice For Dhanush’s Character In Raanjhanaa, Didn’t Do It Due To THIS Reason

South star Dhanush made a memorable debut in Bollywood with the 2013 film Raanjhanaa. His performance earned him widespread acclaim and the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut in 2014. However, director Aanand L Rai recently revealed that Dhanush wasn’t the first choice for the role.

Ranbir Kapoor Was The 1st Choice For Raanjhanaa

In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Rai shared that he originally wanted Ranbir Kapoor for the lead role. Unfortunately, Kapoor was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts.

Rai explained, “As a director who had just tasted success with Tanu Weds Manu if I had more faith in myself, I would have made Tanu Weds Manu 2. But Himanshu (Sharma) and I felt that a story like Raanjhanaa needed to be told. We figured out that what has worked for us is our story, being true to our story and casting.”

Rai added, “An actor who keeps himself simple and lets himself blend into the crowd, which is a difficult thing, I believe, is Ranbir Kapoor, but he was not available at that time and as we were searching for such an actor, we found Dhanush.” He emphasised that Raanjhanaa was destined to feature Dhanush in the lead role.

I believe kundan (ranjhaanaa) jaisa character bohot acche koyi kar sakta woh #RanbirKapoor hain but he was not available at that time .

— Anand L. Roy pic.twitter.com/7ApLcTF7mW

— HATE ME ! (@HotChiliPepperx) August 11, 2024

About This Aanand L Rai Directorial

The film, which also starred Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol, Swara Bhasker, and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, turned out to be a massive success. With a production budget of Rs 30 crore, Raanjhanaa grossed Rs 94 crore worldwide and earned Rs 60 crore in India.

The film’s success was bolstered by its soundtrack, composed by AR Rahman, with hits like “Tum Tak,” “Piya Milenge,” “Tu Mun Shudi,” “Banarasiya,” “Nazar Laaye,” and the title track.

Following Raanjhanaa, Aanand L Rai and Dhanush collaborated again on the 2021 film Atrangi Re, which also featured Sara Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar.

Kriti Sanon & Dhanush In Rai’s Upcoming Project

Rai’s upcoming project, Tere Ishk Mein, will once again star Dhanush in the lead role. Reports suggest that Kriti Sanon is in talks to join the cast opposite Dhanush.

According to a source quoted by Pinkvilla, “Kriti Sanon heard the narration from Aanand L Rai a couple of months back and has shown interest to get into the world of this action love story. The story aside, the actress has also liked her character’s arc and the way it transforms in the story. She has given a verbal yes to the film in the meeting today, however, the paperwork is expected to take place in a fortnight.”

The source also revealed, “Much like Abhay Deol in Raanjhanaa, Tere Ishk Mein also has the scope for a strong author-backed character. The makers are in talks with multiple actors for the part and the same will be locked soon.” Filming for Tere Ishk Mein is expected to start in October this year, with a release planned for 2025.