Tere Ishk Mein Movie Review: Dhanush and Kriti Sanon elevate a film burdened by its own intensity

Tere Ishk Mein

‘Tere Ishk Mein,’ directed by Aanand L Rai, released in theatres on 28th November and stars Dhanush, Kriti Sanon, Priyanshu Painyuli, Prakash Raj and Tota Roy Chowdhury.

If ‘Tere Ishk Mein’ works at all, it is largely because of the solid performances by Dhanush and Kriti Sanon, not because of director Aanand L. Rai. The film is designed as an intense emotional drama, and every scene tries hard to feel heavy and powerful. At times, this intensity does leave an impact.

Where emotion drowns structure

However, in his effort to make the film gripping at every moment, Rai forgets about balance and logic. Some incidents in the story feel exaggerated and unrealistic, sticking out awkwardly. The long runtime also becomes tiring, and the small details, warmth, and quirky touches that are usually present in his films are strangely absent here. Instead of letting the emotions flow naturally, the film constantly pushes for drama. While the idea behind ‘Tere Ishk Mein’ does feel fresh at the start, stretching the same emotional thread for nearly three hours becomes exhausting rather than engaging.

A love story born out of anger

The story follows Shankar (Dhanush), a student at Singhania College and the president of the DUSU. He has severe anger issues and uses violence to control students and win their support. His idea of leadership includes beating people up and even bursting firecrackers from the college rooftop with his group of friends. Mukti (Kriti Sanon), another student at the same college, is researching anger and human behaviour for her thesis. While presenting her project, she witnesses Shankar brutally thrashing a student. Her professor later suggests she should study a real-life subject, and she sees Shankar as the perfect case study. Mukti decides to help him control his anger, and over time, Shankar genuinely begins to change. During this journey of transformation, he also falls deeply in love with Mukti. Problems begin when Mukti’s father humiliates Shankar for having no real achievement in life.

Where Aanand L Rai misses the mark

The film sadly misses many elements that once defined Aanand L. Rai’s storytelling. Though the story is set in Delhi, the city’s flavour, culture, and rhythm are barely felt on screen. One of Rai’s strongest themes—friendship—also feels underdeveloped here. The bond between Shankar and his friend Ved, played by Priyanshu Painyuli, looks shallow despite being integral to the film. Their friendship never reaches the emotional depth seen in Rai’s earlier works. Several scenes also stretch logic, especially those showing a college student and student union president behaving like an unchecked street bully. The film further wastes strong actors like Prakash Raj and Tota Roy Chowdhury. Prakash Raj, who plays Shankar’s father, hardly gets any meaningful space. His character could have added emotional weight to the story, but the film barely uses him.

Kriti shines, Dhanush delivers

What truly holds the film together is the dedication of its two lead actors. Dhanush brings sincerity to Shankar’s journey and clearly puts in the effort to show the emotional shift in his character. His portrayal as a volatile student and later as an Air Force pilot feels noticeably different, which speaks to his range. However, it is Kriti Sanon who leaves the strongest impact. As Mukti, she is confident, restrained, and emotionally convincing. She handles both the softer moments and the intense scenes with equal ease. This performance further proves how steadily she is growing as an actor. In several scenes, she even outshines Dhanush with her quiet strength. The way Prakash Raj is sidelined is particularly disappointing.

Dragged pacing but lifted by its leads
Many sequences feel repetitive, especially the constant back-and-forth between Shankar and Mukti. Their emotional confrontations begin to feel like they are stuck on a loop, testing the viewer’s patience. Some dialogues sound unnatural and try too hard to feel dramatic, which makes them stand out for the wrong reasons. On the positive side, the emotionally charged scenes between Dhanush and Kriti do create a few powerful moments. A.R. Rahman’s music adds soul to the film, with a few melodious tracks that linger after the film ends. In the end, ‘Tere Ishk Mein’ remains a partly engaging but uneven film that relies more on performances than storytelling. Dhanush and Kriti Sanon give it emotional strength, but the weak writing, excessive length, and lack of depth hold it back. The film shows flashes of brilliance but never fully rises to its potential.

Rating: 3/5