Aanand L Rai Birthday Special: From 'Tanu Weds Manu' to 'Raksha Bandhan', a look at the maverick storyteller's filmography

Aanand L Rai, who celebrates his birthday today (June 28), has delivered some of the biggest smashing hits and placed India’s small towns on the global map of cinema.

Whether it was the money-spinning runaway superhit franchise 'Tanu Weds Manu' or his recent OTT hit 'Atrangi Re' that broke all records, his films have charted the length and breadth of the country.

Speaking about his genre of films on the occasion of his birthday, the maverick storyteller said, “I have always wanted to make India’s heartland a big part of our cinematic landscape and I’m happy to see that it finally is. I am grateful for all the love that has been showered upon my films so far. It has indeed been a journey full of learnings, lessons and love. I am excited about what the future holds with small-town stories becoming increasingly popular with the audience. I hope to continue giving you films that will make you laugh, love, cry and tug at your heartstrings!”

Rai has a knack to tackle risky small town subjects with great sensitivity and impressive commercial sensibilities. Hailing from a humble background, Aanand L Rai is a successful self-made story in the industry. His directorial ventures 'Tanu Weds Manu', 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns', 'Raanjhanaa', 'Zero' and 'Atrangi Re' have brought to life raw and real small-town stories on the great canvas of cinema and pop-culture.

On the other hand, his productions like 'Nil Battey Sannata', 'Tumbbad', 'Manmarziyaan', 'Happy Bhaag Jaayegi', 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan', and 'Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan' have been both, critically acclaimed as well as commercially successful.

His upcoming directorial 'Raksha Bandhan', starring superstar Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar, is set to be yet another feather to his director’s hat. Set against the backdrop of middle-class Delhi, he has once again given stories from India’s heartland a platform to be seen. The film is set to release on August 11.

His Janhvi Kapoor-starrer 'Good Luck Jerry' is currently one of OTT’s most awaited films and once again tells a story about a small-town girl struggling to make ends meet. It will start streaming from July 29.

Yet another one of his productions, 'An Action Hero', starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Jaideep Ahlawat, has also piqued audience interest already.