Fairy lights and gentle music are not always the hallmarks of love. There are moments when it seems like an unstoppable storm. The audience is left exhausted, moved, and slightly shaken by Aanand L. Rai’s most recent film, Tere Ishk Mein, which hits that raw nerve and stays there for nearly three hours.
This intense romantic drama, starring Dhanush and Kriti Sanon, explores obsession, heartbreak, and the price of loving someone with all of your heart. It is frequently referred to as the spiritual successor to Raanjhanaa. One thing is evident from an early screening: this movie is an emotional blow that many viewers will take home; it’s not just another love story.
A R Rahman’s stirring music serves as the soundtrack for this film, which is set in the emotionally charged streets of Benaras.
Tere Ishk Mein tries to answer one haunting question: how far can someone go in love before it destroys them and everyone around them?
Read a detailed, spoiler-free Tere Ishk Mein review covering the story, performances, music, pros, cons, and final verdict.
Discover why Dhanush and Kriti Sanon’s intense love saga is one of 2025’s most powerful romantic dramas.
Tere Ishk Mein Review:
Story
The movie looks at how Shankar and Mukti become caught between their emotions, social norms, and their own broken minds. Their affection is neither beautiful nor sensible.
Because it reflects the kinds of relationships people are unwilling to acknowledge they have gone through, it is messy, chaotic, frequently unpleasant to watch.
The story takes its time at two hours and forty-nine minutes, but Aanand L. Rai keeps the majority of it captivating with clever scenes, intricate characterization, and a growing sense of doom that never truly fades.
Pros
Dhanush delivers one of his strongest Hindi performances till date. His Shankar is intense, fragile and unpredictable. There are scenes where his eyes do all the talking and the pain feels painfully real. Many viewers will see shades of Raanjhanaa’s Kundan, but this version is more mature and haunting.
Kriti Sanon gets a layered role and makes full use of it. Mukti is not just a “hero’s love interest”. She carries trauma, confusion and guilt, and Kriti brings that inner storm to the screen with surprising depth. Her emotional breakdowns, moments of hesitation and sudden bursts of courage make her feel like a real person, not a filmy stereotype.
The chemistry between Dhanush and Kriti is fiery. Their scenes together are charged with passion, anger and helplessness. This is the kind of pairing where even a simple look across a crowded room can feel like a full-blown confrontation.
Supporting actors like Prakash Raj and Maahir Mohiuddin add authenticity. Their calm presence balances out Shankar and Mukti’s madness and gives the story a relatable, human grounding.
A R Rahman’s music is a massive win. The soundtrack plays like a second screenplay. Songs and background score hold the audience’s hand through grief, rage, longing and surrender. Tracks like “Tere Ishq Mein” and “Khoon Mera Ishq Mein Sharaab Ho Gaya” stay in the head long after the film ends.
The climax deserves a special mention. It is bold, layered and emotionally explosive. Many viewers will walk out in silence, trying to process what they just witnessed.
Cons
The long runtime will be a problem for some. While the story needs space to breathe, the second half dips in pace at a few points, making certain segments feel slightly repetitive.
A few thriller portions lean towards melodrama. For viewers who prefer subtle storytelling, some heightened scenes may feel too loud or stretched.
The heavy emotional tone never really lets up. This is not a light watch. For those looking for a breezy romance, Tere Ishk Mein might feel too intense and draining.
Technical aspects
Technically speaking, Tere Ishk Mein is meticulously made. Benaras becomes a living character thanks to the cinematography. Shankar and Mukti’s chaos gains spiritual weight from close-ups of the ghats, congested streets, and the flowing Ganga. The visual language consistently juxtaposes love and loss, devotion and devastation.
The first half has excellent editing, particularly in the suspenseful opening stretch and the interval block. These sections seem urgent and constrictive. Although the second half could have benefited from a slightly tighter cut, the powerful performances and memorable dialogue make the emotional beats still impactful.
Rahman’s background score deserves its own applause. The music rises and falls with the characters’ mental state. Soft notes underline moments of heartbreak, while loud, restless pieces push the tension to the next level. The sound design in key dramatic scenes adds to the goosebump factor, especially as the film races towards its climax.
Production design and costume choices keep things rooted and believable. Shankar’s look, Mukti’s transformation and the way spaces change around them reflect their inner journeys. Nothing feels randomly glamorous, which helps the audience connect more deeply with their pain.
Verdict
Tere Ishk Mein is not a film for those who want comfort. It is for those who have loved fiercely, made mistakes and still carry scars. Aanand L Rai returns to his favourite playground of intense romance and delivers a story that is powerful, flawed and unforgettable.
Dhanush and Kriti Sanon give career defining performances, and A R Rahman’s music wraps the entire film in a haunting, poetic soundscape. Yes, the runtime is long and the drama sometimes feels overwhelming, but the emotional payoff is strong enough to stay with viewers long after the lights come on.
For anyone who enjoys deep, messy, high-voltage love stories, Tere Ishk Mein is a must watch.
Rating: 3.5/5
Highly recommended for the emotionally brave: go for the love, stay for the heartbreak.
Check Tere Ishk Mein trailer here:
Lead Image: T-Series
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