Aanand L. Rai

Biography:

The romantic comedy-dramas Tanu Weds Manu (2011) and its follow-up Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015), as well as the romantic drama Raanjhanaa (2013), are the works of Hindi film director and producer Aanand L. Rai, born in 1970/1971. The latter two earned him nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Director.

The romantic comedy-drama Atrangi Re (2021), the family comedy-drama Raksha Bandhan (2022), and the big-budget romance drama Zero (2018) were all directed by him thereafter.

Rai was raised in Delhi, where he was born. He completed his computer engineering degree in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, after completing his education in Delhi. After India’s 1947 split, his family—whose original surname was Raisinghani—moved from Sindh to Dehradun.

After leaving his engineering job to travel to Mumbai, Rai began working as an assistant to his older brother, television director Ravi Rai, on a number of television shows. Following extensive experience, he went on to direct his own productions.