Interview: Mr. Akshay is the soul of Atranga Re: Anand L Rai on the next album and how he made him believe in love

After creating small town love stories like Tanu Weds Manu, Ranjhaanaa, and Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Anand La Rai is gearing up for the release of their next film, Atrangi Re, with Sarah Ali Khan, Dhanush and Akshay Kumar. The director has revealed that Ryo Atranga’s unborn child has been with him and his script partner Himanshu Sharma since 2014. “It was just an idea.” He laughed and added quickly. ”
” he said, “After Zero we talked about what’s next. Atrangi Les wasn’t the easiest idea to develop from anything we had, but I was eager to explore this multi-layered subject of love. So we decided to embark on this adventurous journey.” And what made him tackle such a complex subject? “I wanted to play on the front foot. I wanted to play the match on a difficult pitch and this script was passing all the tick marks,” he answers.
The film rides on a formidable ensemble spearheaded by Sara Ali Khan and Dhanush with Akshay in a key role. Explaining his casting, the director shares, “Sara was a straight choice because I wanted somebody in that age group with no baggage. Her character has got so much spark that I have taken a lot of Sara and converted her into Rinku. Another character of this Tamil boy always belonged to Dhanush. “And Akshay? He replies: “Akshay, the teacher is a special element of this room. He is the soul of Ryo Atranga. It was a challenging role and I needed someone who was very confident in myself. When choosing a script I’m not afraid, and I’m so grateful that I took the place of this character.” Throughout the
campaign, stakeholders promised that Atrangi would bring romance to the film’s narrative. Of course, it will be difficult for actors to participate. Anand says: “If you have the guts to make this movie, why can’t I be in it?” “I am so lucky to have actors who believe in this story so strongly and fall in love.” Each movie has a director’s learning curve, and Atrangi Ledo was no different as he began to believe in love more throughout the trip than before. “I think love is the best medicine needed to get rid of all the ailments in the world,” he says.
The film premieres on Disney + Hotstar over the Christmas weekend 2021. As much as the director wants to bring this film to the big screen, he subscribes that each medium has its own charm. “It was a tough challenge, but as a manager, I am open to all platforms. I want as many people as possible to hear and see my story. Each platform has its strengths,” he concluded.