Katrina Kaif, Sonam Kapoor share birthday wishes for Aanand L Rai: ‘Will always be grateful’

Filmmaker Aanand L Rai celebrates his 48th birthday on Friday and his lead heroines - Katrina Kaif, Deepika Sonam Kapoor and Right from the start, his films have tugged at audience’s heartstrings, thanks to their subtle emotions, heartfelt storytelling, and high entertainment value. But look closely and you will notice that there’s something else too that binds Aanand L Rai’s films together — his portrayal of female characters. More often than not, female characters in Rai’s films are the heroes with a few examples being: Tanu Weds Manu series, Raanjhanaa (2013), Nil Battey Sannata (directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, 2015), Manmarziyaan (2018) and Zero (208). And they have left a deep impression on the audience’s mind.

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So, as the film-maker turns 48 today, we caught hold of three female actors, who have worked with him to wish him a great birthday and also decode his maverick process. Sonam K Ahuja, who received widespread acclaim for Rai’s Raanjhanaa, says: “Aanand sir’s stories are as beautiful as his heart. I’ll always be grateful to Aanand sir for giving me Raanjhanaa, a movie which will always be very close to my heart. On his birthday, I have just one thing to say, ‘to many more stories and wonderful times ahead’.”

For Swara Bhasker, who worked with Rai in Raanjhanaa and Nil Battey Sannata, he is “one of the most organic directors in B-Town.” She says: “He has an eye for bringing out the beautiful nuances of human relationships, and a gift to make mundane moments unique. Plus, he has an ability to find emotion in the most casual of scenarios. He is a dream director for any actor. I am so grateful that I got to work on so many amazing roles with him, which changed my life.”

Rai’s Zero star, Katrina goes a step further and says she looks forward to working with him again. “It has been a great journey working with Aanand sir. His encouragement has helped me evolve as an actor. I hope I get to be a part of his film world again really soon.”

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