Over the years, Aanand L Rai’s 2011 film, ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ has established itself as a beloved heartfelt rom-com. The film marked the filmmaker’s first super hit and pivoted his career while also adding another feather to the caps of actors Kangana Ranaut and R. Madhavan. Following the massive success amassed by the first instalment, the director delivered its sequel in 2015, ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ which achieved the feat of being the highest opening box office tally of a female-led film in India until 2019.

The first film of the franchise featured the narratives of two individuals who are polar opposites of each other as they navigate their relationship amid societal norms. With its heartfelt narrative and touch of humour, the film soon took over the hearts of netizens as it amassed a collection of 56 crores against the development budget of 17.5 crores. The film starred Kangana Ranaut and R. Madhavan in lead roles with Deepak Dobriyal, Jimmy Shergil, Eijaz Khan, and Swara Bhaskar in key roles.

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After the release of the second instalment of the film, Aanand L Rai denied a third film stating that the story ends with ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’ however, fate had other plans for the film’s characters. The sequel film picked up the narrative of the first film and introduced the character of ‘Datto.’ The news of a third film has created significant buzz and fans have been brimming with anticipation to learn more about the slated project.

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In an interview with News18 Showsha, filmmaker Aanand L Rai confirmed the development of the third film saying “Tanu Weds Manu’ is a kind of franchise that demands a third part. The reason being, those characters are so beautiful, and they were played so beautifully by Madhavan and Kangana. Those characters became a little bigger than the story itself.” The ‘Raanjhanaa’ filmmaker also went on to reveal that there was no initial plan to make a franchise out of ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ and the sequel was only contemplated after its success. “Tanu Weds Manu was wrapped very well. The story was complete. But the characters were eager to come back. That’s why we were able to create another story.”

While Kangana Ranaut confirmed her involvement in the third film last year, Aanand L Rai has iterated that the storyline of the upcoming project hasn’t been locked yet. The filmmaker revealed that with the introduction of Datto, the makers are making sure to give Tanu, Manu, and Datto a story they deserve and as soon as they have it, they’ll go ahead with it.

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When probed into what the filmmaker is looking for with his story, Rai disclosed that he searches for a unique man-woman love story citing examples of his previous films that all featured a distinct love story for its lead characters, be it ‘Atrangi Re,’ ‘Tanu Weds Manu,’ or ‘Haseen Dillruba.’ “As a director and producer, I feel the need to explore a new love story each time. I search for a certain kind of edginess. In ‘Tanu Weds Manu,’ I showed a girl who drinks and smokes, and as a director, I didn’t judge her—and that’s why my audience didn’t judge her. The idea is to bring a new story and a new relationship to celluloid, something that hasn’t been captured yet.”

As he delved into his cinematic vision further, the director revealed that he does not understand when people use the term ‘Aanand L Rai film’ and all he strives to be is real and honest with his storytelling.