Filmmaker Aanand L Rai says that box-office collections never impact his film choices. Rai, who celebrates his birthday today, admits that the constant change in audiences’ likes and dislikes keeps everyone “on their toes”.

He shares, “Every decade, there’s a change of audience and taste. As a filmmaker, you will face these obstacles. Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015) got everything right. The audience loved Dhanush (actor) as the protagonist in Raanjhanaa (2013). This is a sign of changing times.”

Interestingly, Rai is looking forward to collaborating with Dhanush for the third time with his next directorial, Tere Ishk Mein. Earlier, they worked together in Raanjhanaa and Atrangi Re (2021).

Rai’s last release, Raksha Bandhan (2022), didn’t manage to impress moviegoers. Ask how he keeps himself motivated and starts afresh after a film fails to rake in the moolah, and the 52-year-old says, “I am a student. There will be times when my thesis will not get everything right. The only time my confidence can be broken is if I falter in my intention. I know my intentions were right, whether it was Zero (2018; the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer) or Raksha Bandhan. I scored brilliantly with Tanu Weds Manu Returns. My intentions were the same for all the projects.”