‘I Was Prepared For The Backlash’

Barely has Aanand Rai’s new dark, intense romance Tere Ishq Mein opened when severe backlash over the film’s alleged misogyny and its perceived legitimization of stalking began.

Hours after the release, Aanand remains unperturbed. “I don’t listen to what people have to say. I listen only to my heart. I made my film exactly the way I wanted. For this freedom to express myself, I am grateful. As for the backlash, I was prepared for it. I have nothing to say in my defense. I don’t feel the need to defend myself. I’ve made the film I wanted to. I wouldn’t change a frame if I had the opportunity to.” The filmmaker further adds, “Tere Ishq Mein belongs to my dark, intense world — the world we all carry inside us but are afraid to acknowledge. There is also my lighter world, seen in Tanu Weds Manu. I am equally proud of both my worlds. What I love is portraying imperfect, flawed, fractured characters and their stories.”