The 2013 release Raanjhanaa, directed by Aanand L Rai is considered one of his best works. The film starred Sonam Kapoor and Dhanush in lead roles. Over the years, the film attained cult status for its storyline and heartfelt dialogues. However, director Aanand L Rai once revealed that Dhanush was not the first choice for Kundan role. He recently shared that the role was offered to Ranbir Kapoor and revealed why he could not do.
Ranbir Kapoor was first choice for Raanjhanaa
Reflecting on the casting process of film, Aanand L Rai revealed in an interview with Bollywood Hungama that he initially approached Ranbir Kapoor for the role of Kundan. “An actor who keeps himself simple and lets himself blend into the crowd, which is a difficult thing, I believe, is Ranbir Kapoor,” he said. “But he was not available at that time. As we were searching for such an actor, we found Dhanush.”
Had Ranbir taken the role, the film would have marked his second collaboration with Sonam Kapoor. The two made their Bollywood debut together with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya. Rumours were even rife, that they were dating for a brief time.
Aanand L Rai’s Tere Ishk Mein
Aanand L Rai and Dhanush are reuniting for another intense love story titled Tere Ishk Mein. The film is touted to be connected to the world of Raanjhanaa. This time, Kriti Sanon will play the leading lady and so far, the teaser has amped up the excitement for the project.
Himanshu Sharma has written the script, and the movie is expected to feature a high-quality soundtrack. AR Rahman will be composing the songs and Irshad Kamil will write the lyrics. The romantic-action drama is set to be released in theatres on November 28, 2025.
Talking about Ranbir, he has mega-budget projects in his kitty which everyone is waiting for. To start with, he will be seen as Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. He will also be seen reuniting with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Love and War alongside Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal. These films will be released in 2026. Apart from this, he has Animal Park and Dhoom 4 also in the works.