The recent re-release of Raanjhanaa has created great controversy as an alternate ending of the story was revealed, altering the film’s emotional touch in the climax.
The 2013 love movie marked Dhanush’s Bollywood debut. It created great buzz for its emotional climax, in which Dhanush’s character, Kundan, dies in a moment of peaceful sacrifice. Aanand L. Rai directed the film, which starred Sonam Kapoor and Swara Bhasker, and the original conclusion was regarded as one of its most dramatic features. On August 1st, the Tamil-dubbed version of this movie Ambikapathy was re-released with a reworked climax in which Kundan survives.
This modification altered the whole tone of the story, gaining conflicting emotions from spectators. While some viewers found the alteration more soothing or hopeful, others believed it reduced the film’s emotional touch and completely altered the soul of the story. Dhanush responded to the change of the movie’s climax with a powerful statement of disappointment. He stated that the new version was released despite his strong objections, saying, “This is not the film I committed to 12 years ago.” He added that altering the narrative detracts from its original essence and purity.
Director Aanand L. Rai additionally stated that he and his team were not engaged in the revised version, describing it as “unauthorised.” The incident has sparked new discussions on the importance of creative vision and usage of AI in movies .