'It’s A Legal Matter': Aanand L Rai Breaks Silence On Eros’ Rs 84 Crore Suit Over Tere Ishk Mein

Filmmaker Aanand L Rai has finally broken his silence on the legal trouble surrounding Tere Ishk Mein. With Eros International Media Ltd dragging the director and his production house to court over alleged intellectual property violations linked to Raanjhanaa, Rai has struck a calm, almost unfazed note, calling such disputes part and parcel of the film business.

Speaking to NDTV, Aanand L Rai addressed the ₹84 crore lawsuit filed by Eros and said, “These are part of life. When you step into business, such things keep happening. I don’t even know why, how, or from where this has come. But I think it is a legal matter, so let the legal people handle it. There is a lawyer on their side, and a lawyer from here will respond too.”

Downplaying the seriousness

of the issue, the director added, “I don’t think it has any meaning. Anyone can say anything about anything at any time. So it’s not something to be taken too seriously. It’s more for the lawyers to deal with. Since it’s a legal matter, I won’t speak much about it, but it’s nothing serious.”

The lawsuit, reported earlier by mid-day, was filed by Eros International Media Ltd against Aanand L Rai and his banner, Colour Yellow Media Entertainment LLP. The company has accused the makers of Tere Ishk Mein of unlawfully using the intellectual property of Raanjhanaa while promoting the 2025 release. Eros claims it holds exclusive rights to Raanjhanaa, including copyrights, trademarks, characters, dialogues, and sequel or remake rights.

According to the suit, Eros has sought ₹84 crore in damages, alleging copyright infringement, trademark violation and passing off. The company has pointed to several similarities, including Dhanush’s character being named Shankar in Tere Ishk Mein, echoing his character Kundan Shankar in Raanjhanaa. It has also flagged that Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub appears as Murari in both films. Additionally, Eros has objected to promotional material that used phrases such as ‘From the world of Raanjhanaa’, which it says amounted to unauthorised usage.

Tere Ishk Mein is written by Himanshu Sharma and Neeraj Yadav and directed by Aanand L Rai. The film has been positioned as a spiritual sequel to Rai and Dhanush’s 2013 hit Raanjhanaa. Alongside Dhanush, the film stars Kriti Sanon as the female lead, with Prakash Raj playing a pivotal role.

Released in theatres in November 2025, Tere Ishk Mein went on to earn over ₹161 crore at the box office and is currently streaming on Netflix.