Aanand L Rai on criticism of casting actors with an age gap: "Want people to watch the film for two hours, and react to it thereafter"

When Aanand L Rai announced his film, Atrangi Re, many had shown concern over the fact that a twenty-something actress- Sara Ali Khan was cast opposite two pretty senior actors- Dhanush and Akshay Kumar. Many questioned why Bollywood always went on to cast young actresses opposite much older actors. Now, Aanand L Rai had responded to that criticism.

Talking to Mid Day, Atrangi Re director said, “Atrangi means funnily weird. If a filmmaker shows patience in making a film, it’s his small expectation that people wait and understand the reason behind such a cast. We have a habit of judging people. I want people to watch the film for two hours, and react to it thereafter. I am not worried as a filmmaker. I am not here to make formulaic films. If I go wrong, I can be critiqued. People who make cinema learn with every effort. With every success, I learn what’s right. With every failure, I learn what went wrong.” 

He was also all praises for Sara Ali Khan and called her one of the finest actresses. Talking to ETimes, he said, “I wanted a girl who goes all out in real life, too, and someone who could hide her nervousness with her confidence. I saw that in Sara. She’s one of the finest among the young breed of actors. She has the guts, and even if she falters, she will come up with something else very soon. Woh bohut khul kar hasti hai, aur bohot kam logon ko aisa aata hai. She is like a cracker in the film. I wanted that kind of energy for the character of Rinku. Atrangi Re was only possible with this set of people. They helped me narrate this beautiful tale, which is way too deep. The film is more than just a love triangle.”

The trailer of the film is set to release today. The film will release on OTT on Disney + Hotstar.