Raanjhanaa’s real romance

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While there is one opulent love story we’re waiting to see — Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela, there is another, considerably more realistic romance that seems incredibly promising as well.

We’re talking about the Sonam Kapoor-Dhanush starrer Raanjhanaa. “The film has been very much made for the aam aadmi, by an aam aadmi, about the aam aadmi,” says one source connected to the Raanjhanaa unit. This is the way this love story between Sonam and Dhanush’s character, which has been extensively shot in Varanasi, will be projected as well.”
Our source adds that this is at the specific insistence of director Aanand L. Rai: “He is hardly the filmi sort and he wanted the Sonam-Dhanush romance to unfold in a very non-filmi way as well. He wanted to keep the film very rooted.”
This stance isn’t entirely unexpected from the man who made Tanu Weds Manu, the Kangna Ranaut-R. Madhavan starrer that had simplicity as its USP. “It was this same core that he wanted to bring to Raanjhanaa as well and fortunately for him, his producer Krishika Lulla, was on board well,” our source added.
Krishika says, “Dhanush is a brilliant actor and he looks like a common man. This is what that works for Aanand’s film. Also, Sonam was ready to work on herself to look and act like a girl from the interiors of India, despite her fashionista image. She really believed in the story, attended theatre groups’ workshops, saw quite a few street plays. She worked on herself to live up to what Aanand had envisioned for her.”
As to why she was choosing to back a film set in the heartland of India, Krishika said, “I like to work on the kind of films which are realistic, connect to the youth and are commercial enough to bring in audience. Raanjhanaa is one such film. It is very earthy.”
With the first look of the film unveiled at midnight, we’re sure the film’s team will get an idea of viewer reactions.