Mumbai, March 13 – Filmmaker Aanand L Rai revealed that he was drawn to the project "Tu Yaa Main," starring Shanaya Kapoor and Adarsh Gourav, due to its sheer unpredictability.
"Tu Yaa Main" deals with a genre rarely attempted in Bollywood – a full-blown creature survival thriller centered around a ferocious crocodile.
Speaking about what excited him about "Tu Yaa Main," the filmmaker shared, "What excited me about Tu Yaa Main was its sheer unpredictability. We don't often see creature-driven survival stories in our cinema, and here it's combined with characters who feel completely rooted in today's world."
Adding further details about the lead characters, Aanand L Rai said, "Maruti and Avani feel like people you'd know. And when you place characters like that in an extreme situation, the tension becomes far more personal."
Aanand L Rai's studio is known for supporting unconventional films such as the "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan" franchise, "Newton," and "Tumbbad."
Directed by Bejoy Nambiar, "Tu Yaa Main" revolves around Avani Shah (played by Shanaya Kapoor), a social media influencer with millions of followers, and Maruti Kadam (played by Adarsh Gourav), a rapper from Nalasopara. Their relationship takes an unexpected turn when they find themselves trapped in an abandoned swimming pool with a crocodile.
Previously, Adarsh shared his experience playing Maruti on social media, writing, "Tu Yaa Main came at a time when I was feeling confused and helpless reading about the developments. But when I walked out of @abzeebandekar's insane narration at the colour yellow office, I knew I had to be Maruti."
"What was it about him that felt so personal to me? Maybe his desire to break out and find an identity. Something infectious about a character who knows where he's coming from and doesn't shy away from it. Would I ever be able to walk up to someone while owning my fears and let them see me for who I am? Probably not. Probably what I wanted to be. Maruti gave me a chance to be what I always envied," he added.