In 2013, director Aanand L Rai introduced Tamil superstar Dhanush to Bollywood with Raanjhanaa, a surprise blockbuster that blended a tragic love story with powerful performances and AR Rahman’s unforgettable soundtrack. The film went on to earn cult status, and Rai later reunited with Dhanush in Atrangi Re (2021), released directly on OTT during the pandemic. Now, the duo returns for their third collaboration with Tere Ishk Mein, which hit cinemas on November 28. ‘Tere Ishk Mein’ Movie Review: Dhanush and Kriti Sanon Drown in This Toxic Ode to Male Victimhood.

Co-starring Kriti Sanon, Tere Ishk Mein is crafted as another tragic romantic drama, though this time the melodrama is dialled up several notches. Dhanush plays Shankar, an IAF pilot with severe anger-management issues who is forced into counselling after repeatedly refusing orders. His counsellor is Mukti, an alcoholic and pregnant psychologist with whom he shares a turbulent past from their student days in Delhi - he a hot-headed, lower-middle-class leader, and she a PhD scholar.

The 'Raanjhanaa' Connection

If you watched the trailer, you may have caught Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub’s voice delivering the line, "Mar jaoge pandit. Prem mein mrityu hai, mukti nahi." The sentiment mirrors one spoken by his character Murari in Raanjhanaa, and it isn’t accidental.

Watch the Trailer of 'Tere Ishk Mein':

Ayyub appears physically in Tere Ishk Mein during a pivotal sequence in Benares, where Shankar travels to perform his father’s last rites (played by Prakash Raj). As a local pundit, he instantly recognises Shankar as another heartbroken young man - and remarks that all such men look the same. It’s a direct nod to Kundan, Dhanush’s doomed lover from Raanjhanaa. ‘Raanjhanaa’ Aka ‘Ambikapathy’ Re-Release With AI-Altered Ending: How It Would Change Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor’s Tragic Climax.

Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Dhanush in Raanjhanaa

Though the film never explicitly names him, it heavily implies that Ayyub is indeed reprising Murari. He even reminisces about Kundan, without stating his name, recalling how he danced along the ghats and ultimately sacrificed his life for love. Seeing the same destructive path in Shankar, the pundit warns him that love may lead only to death, never to mukti.

Ayyub’s character appears again in the epilogue at the Benares ghat, fulfilling a promise he made to Shankar - though we are not going to tell you here why.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 28, 2025 10:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).