Atrangi Re marks the first collaboration between Aanand L Rai and Akshay Kumar. The filmmaker will also be directing the superstar in his upcoming project, Raksha Bandhan. Talking about the actor, he says, “Akshay’s honesty made me want to work with him again after this film. He never tries to disguise himself. So, it’s easy to understand and read him. For a director like me, that simplicity is very charming.”

Atrangi Re will also see Rai reuniting with actor Dhanush, who he directed in Raanjhanaa (2013). “There’s a lot to discover about him,” says Rai, who considers him to be his “younger brother”. He elaborates, “I’m so close to Dhanush that I fail to observe the evolution that he has had, career wise.”

Currently in the process of working on the score of the film with music maestro A R Rahman, Rai believes that his music contributes to his films in more ways than one. “Rahman sir makes me a better director. When you have him in a film, telling the story becomes a magical experience.”

The filmmaker, over the years, has carved a niche for himself with scripts set against the backdrop of heartland India. Quiz him if he has ever felt trapped in his own template and Rai says, “It’s always fun when you get trapped and feel ki abb isme se kaise niklunga. I wait for the trap wondering ki kya iss baar magic hoga? But it’s great to have Bhushan Kumar (producer) who just lets you fly. I wouldn’t like to give two years to a story where I don’t feel a lot is at stake.”