His recent release, Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba, was a sequel to his 2021 film Haseen Dillruba. Now, filmmaker Aanand L Rai has started working on another sequel, the third instalment to his Tanu Weds Manu franchise. While the film is likely to go on floors by mid-2025, Rai says the story is yet to be locked.

“I know there have been questions like: ‘The way Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015) ended, does it deserve a sequel?’ But we are working on the story. It is a big responsibility to get the characters back with a bigger story and I am on it.”

Noting that making a film is “all about intentions”, Rai adds, “If I only want to make money out of it, I can start the shoot in the next three months. But, if I want to tell my audience a story for satisfaction, I must work hard. Work is on in full swing.”

Given the success of the first two films, the 53-year-old admits that he is nervous about the third one. “The pressure to live up to the benchmark the second part set is real,” Rai ends.