Aanand L Rai Recalls Calling Imtiaz Ali Before Making Raanjhanaa

Filmmaker Aanand L Rai has discussed his approach to storytelling, explaining his belief that a film's story should take priority over a director's ego. Discussing his filmmaking philosophy alongside his upcoming production Nakhrewaalii—a romantic comedy starring Ansh Duggal and Pragati Srivastava—Rai stated that he loves stories more than the director within himself.

Recalling the preparation for Raanjhanaa, Rai remembered hearing Imtiaz Ali speak about Rockstar and wondering if the two films might explore similar emotional territory. To avoid uncertainty, Rai contacted Ali directly to discuss the worlds their respective films were exploring. Rai noted that if they had been in the same world and Ali was making it, he would have preferred to explore Ali's world and make something else.

Emphasizing his guiding principles, Rai stated, “What matters is intent, honesty and being egoless. Be slave to the story, nobody else.”

Rai is backing Nakhrewaalii and Nayyi Navelli under Colour Yellow Productions, which are scheduled for release on October 30 and October 16, respectively.