Featuring Dhanush, Kriti Sanon, and Aanand L Rai’s distinctive tragic-romance approach, “Tere Ishk Mein” arrived carrying high expectations.The film was marketed as an intense love saga, a bold narrative, and a deeply emotional journey that would redefine Bollywood romance. However, despite the ambition, the final product leaves you feeling like you’ve stepped back into the era of overcooked melodrama, predictable tropes, and emotional manipulation.
The film tries to replicate the raw intensity of “Raanjhanaa,” but instead of evolution, it feels like regression. The emotional graph becomes theatrical, the character motivations become illogical, and the story drags under the weight of outdated storytelling techniques.
Plot Overview – A Familiar Tale Wrapped in Excess Emotion
The story centers on Shekhar (Dhanush), a young man who is passionate—almost obsessive—about love. When he meets Meera (Kriti Sanon), an ambitious woman with dreams bigger than the world Shekhar lives in, their worlds collide. What begins as an intense attraction turns into a turbulent relationship defined by imbalance, possessiveness, and emotional chaos.
The narrative attempts to show the consequences of self-destructive love, but instead of nuanced storytelling, it relies on outdated tropes—hero worship, female incompleteness, angry sacrifices, and plot turns that feel forced for emotional effect.
Rather than exploring modern complexities of relationships, the film clings to stereotypical Bollywood melodrama where suffering is equated with love and tragedy is glamorized as destiny.
Storytelling Approach – Heavy, Loud, and Exhaustingly Outdated
A Melodrama That Belongs to Another Era
The primary problem with “Tere Ishk Mein” is its insistence on over-the-top emotional execution. Every moment is amplified with dramatic background music, extreme reactions, repetitive monologues, and love portrayed as an intense, painful, almost obsessive experience. This style might have worked a decade ago, but today’s audience expects subtlety, realism, and mature writing.
Instead of heartfelt emotional depth, the film offers emotional overload.
Predictability in Every Turn
From the first half itself, the viewer can predict nearly every major twist—whether in the characters’ fates, emotional breakdowns, or romantic conflicts. The film never surprises, never challenges, and never elevates the romance beyond formulaic storytelling.
The idea of “love against society,” “love as sacrifice,” and “love that destroys” feels repeated, unoriginal, and uninspired.
A Script That Lacks Fresh Perspective
Despite a talented cast and a visually compelling world, the screenplay fails to provide new insights into relationships. There are moments where depth could have emerged—especially with Meera’s ambitions or Shekhar’s insecurities—but instead of exploring these themes, the film rushes back to high-voltage expressions of pain and longing.
The narrative relies on intensity, not intelligence.
Characterization – Strong Performers, Weak Writing
Dhanush as Shekhar – A Stellar Actor Caged in an Outdated Role
Dhanush pours his soul into the film. His physicality, emotional expressiveness, and authenticity remain unmatched. He conveys pain, passion, and obsession with striking believability. Yet, the character itself is rooted in toxic masculinity disguised as “true love.”
Shekhar is written like a tragic hero of an old Bollywood drama—self-destructive, emotionally unstable, and obsessive. Audiences today expect accountability and emotional complexity, not glorification of destructive love.
Dhanush’s performance is compelling, but the writing gives him limited room to explore modern psychological layers.
Kriti Sanon as Meera – A Character That Deserved Far Better Writing
Kriti Sanon delivers a composed, graceful performance. Meera starts as an ambitious woman with clear goals and confidence, but the screenplay soon sidelines her dreams in favor of male emotions. Her motivations become inconsistent, her emotional graph becomes erratic, and the story reduces her to a plot device.
Her character lacks agency, depth, and progression.
Despite her talent, Kriti is unable to rise above the constraints of the outdated storyline.
Supporting Cast – Overlooked and Underwritten
The remaining cast delivers functional performances but the writing never gives them significant arcs. Most characters exist only to push the central romance forward or add moments of emotional intensity. No supporting character feels memorable or meaningful.
This makes the world of the film feel hollow, despite the efforts of ensemble actors.
Music & Background Score – Emotional but Excessive
Music is traditionally the backbone of Aanand L Rai’s romantic dramas, but here, the soundtrack, despite being soulful, is over-used. Songs appear at predictable emotional cues, making them feel forced rather than organic.
The background score is loud, dramatic, and overwhelms scenes that could benefit from silence or subtle music.
Instead of amplifying emotion, the music tries too hard to manufacture emotion.
Direction by Aanand L Rai – Vision Without Evolution
Aanand L Rai has a signature style: emotionally charged romances set against culturally rich backdrops. But while his earlier works felt refreshing, “Tere Ishk Mein” exposes the stagnation in his filmmaking approach.
Emotional Manipulation Over Authenticity
The film constantly tells the viewer how to feel rather than allowing emotions to arise naturally. Characters cry excessively, shout, or express pain theatrically. Each conflict is stretched longer than necessary, causing emotional fatigue.
A Missing Modern Sensibility
Modern audiences appreciate grounded romance—messy, realistic, and emotionally layered. “Tere Ishk Mein” offers the opposite: heightened drama, exaggerated conflicts, and a worldview where love is synonymous with suffering.
Not only does this feel outdated—it feels disconnected from today’s relationship realities.
Visual Grandeur Without Narrative Depth
Rai frames beautiful shots—riverbanks, crowded bazaars, night-lit streets, symbolic backgrounds—but these visuals do not enhance the story. The aesthetic beauty is overshadowed by the weak emotional foundation.
It feels like the director prioritized dramatic flair over meaningful substance.
Themes Explored – But Not Effectively
Love as Obsession
The central theme is obsessive, overwhelming love. But instead of critiquing it, the film romanticizes it, inadvertently celebrating toxic dependence.
Sacrifice as the Highest Form of Love
The film glorifies sacrifice to the point that the characters seem to lose individuality. This approach feels outdated in an era where healthy love is defined by balance, boundaries, and communication.
Destiny vs Choice
The narrative tries to explore destiny-driven love, but the plot undermines personal agency. Characters make irrational decisions just to fit dramatic requirements.
These themes have potential, yet the execution lacks subtlety and maturity.
Screenplay Issues – The Heart of the Problem
Dragged Pacing
The film spends too much time on repetitive emotional outbursts. Scenes stretch unnecessarily and slow down the narrative flow.
Forced Conflicts
Many conflicts appear simply to justify dramatic scenes. Instead of arising organically, they feel planted by the writer for convenience.
Lack of Character Growth
Characters start and end almost in the same emotional place. Shekhar remains obsessive; Meera remains confused. Without growth, the emotional journey feels static.
Cinematography – Beautiful Frames, Weak Story Backbone
The cinematography is visually striking. The camera captures atmospheric beauty—rain-soaked lanes, dramatic silhouettes, rustic settings—but these visuals cannot compensate for weak storytelling.
The lighting, color palette, and framing often elevate individual scenes, but cannot elevate the film as a whole.
Editing – Could Have Been Sharper
A tighter edit could have removed unnecessary melodrama and strengthened the film. At several points, the film feels stretched, leading to viewer fatigue. Key emotional moments lose impact because they are overplayed.
Dialogues – Poetic but Heavy-Handed
The dialogues are melodramatic, poetic, and intense. While some lines land beautifully, many feel outdated and unnatural. Characters speak in metaphors even during everyday conversations, making the film feel less authentic.
Audience Reaction – Divided but Mostly Underwhelmed
Fans of Dhanush Appreciate His Performance
Dhanush’s admirers praise his raw emotional acting. His commitment to the role remains unquestionable.
General Audience Finds the Film Overdramatic
Today’s viewers are accustomed to nuanced storytelling. The theatrics of “Tere Ishk Mein” feel overwhelming.
Critics Point Out Regression in Narrative Style
Reviewers have highlighted how the film falls back on tired clichés rather than progressing toward modern emotional storytelling.
Comparison with Raanjhanaa – The Inevitability
“Tere Ishk Mein” is often compared to “Raanjhanaa” because of the similar emotional tone and the Dhanush-Aanand L Rai collaboration. However:
- “Raanjhanaa” had freshness and narrative boldness.
- “Tere Ishk Mein” feels repetitive and formulaic.
- The new film lacks the emotional maturity and layered writing of its predecessor.
Instead of evolving, the storytelling seems to have regressed.
Strengths of the Film – What Works
Despite its drawbacks, the film has certain strengths:
Dhanush’s Intense Performance
His emotional range is the anchor of the film.
Kriti’s Graceful Screen Presence
She adds elegance and sincerity despite weak writing.
Strong Cinematography & Production Design
The visual world is rich, atmospheric, and immersive.
Soulful Music
Though excessive, the music is emotionally compelling.
These strengths make the film watchable but not memorable.
Weaknesses of the Film – What Fails
Outdated Storytelling
The biggest flaw is the old-fashioned narrative style.
Melodramatic Execution
Excessive emotional exaggeration overwhelms the audience.
Poor Character Development
Characters remain shallow and static.
Predictable Screenplay
Every major twist feels expected.
Romanticizing Toxic Traits
Love is equated with obsession, sacrifice, and emotional instability.
Why the Film Feels Like a Step Backward
The film does not align with modern expectations of romance storytelling. Audiences today prefer:
- realistic relationships
- emotional balance
- mental health awareness
- powerful female characters
- healthy love narratives
“Tere Ishk Mein” ignores all these and delivers an exhausting, overwrought love saga that belongs to the past.
