Dhanush Says Aanand L Rai Invested Own Money To Cast Him In Raanjhanaa: 'They Didn't Have Budget'

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3 days ago

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Dhanush reveals he nearly turned down Raanjhanaa due to budget issues, and shares how director Aanand L Rai personally backed him to play Kundan.
Dhanush might be a big name in Tamil cinema, but back in 2013, when he was gearing up for his Bollywood debut with Raanjhanaa, things weren't exactly smooth sailing. In fact, he nearly walked away from the film altogether. The actor recently looked back on the film during a special fan screening celebrating its 12th anniversary. While Raanjhanaa became a cult favourite over the years, Dhanush admitted that he was close to saying no – and it all came down to the budget.
'At that time, they didn't have the right kind of budget for hiring me as the lead actor. But this man's (Aanand L Rai) passion was so strong that he just wanted me to play Kundan. He could have offered any actor this part and they would have happily come on board. After all, it's such a great part," Dhanush shared, as quoted in SCREEN.
The part he's talking about – Kundan – was a lovestruck Varanasi boy whose obsession and heartbreak eventually pull him into the world of politics. According to him, director Aanand L Rai had to take a big risk to make it happen.
'He went against all odds. I don't know I am supposed to say this and I don't care! He invested his own money as well. He went all out (to cast me). He saw Kundan in me and he stayed true to his vision," Dhanush said.
Even for a seasoned performer like Dhanush, the pressure was real. He revealed that stepping into the Hindi film world brought a kind of fear he hadn't experienced before.
'I was not scared during my first film. When I was written off, I was not scared. That's how I am. But for the first time, I was scared. I felt responsible. So, I was praying so hard to God that 'Somehow save this man,'" he said, reflecting on the weight of expectations.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Raanjhanaa clicked with audiences and critics alike. 'They made a cult classic. It is not the story of Kundan and Zoya. It is the story of two mad men who believed in this," Dhanush added.
The film also starred Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol, Swara Bhaskar and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, and became a defining moment in Aanand L Rai's directorial career. Since Raanjhanaa, Dhanush and Aanand L Rai have teamed up again, including in the 2021 film Atrangi Re, and are working together on Tere Ishq Mein – a film Rai has said is set in 'the same world as Raanjhanaa."
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