When I booked my tickets for Tere Ishk Mein, I knew I was willingly stepping into a ‘toxic space’, yet I placed my trust in Aanand L. Rai’s storytelling instincts and he rewarded that trust.

While watching the film, I could already picture teenage fans erupting inside theatres who went crazy after watching Saiyaara or Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat.

Imagine mixing Kabir Singh, Sattu from Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana and Raanjhanaa, then turning the madness and intensity up by tenfold; what comes out is Tere Ishk Mein. Although it stands as another entry in the catalogue of bold, emotionally heightened romantic dramas, I genuinely enjoyed the film, barring the climax, which felt a little exaggerated and melodramatic.

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The screenplay moves at a steady pace and manages to fix a major structural issue that plagued Raanjhanaa: its sluggish second half. Unlike that film, Tere Ishk Mein refuses to slow down. Instead, it keeps pushing its emotional chaos to higher peaks until the very end. Aanand L. Rai seems determined to justify the motivations behind every action his characters take, avoiding noticeable plot gaps. There was a moment when I kept questioning, “Why would Kriti do this?” or “Why didn’t she stop her father?”, and the answers came later in a surprisingly satisfying way.

I also have to highlight the dialogues. They may strike some viewers as abrasive or offensive, but they’re unapologetically authentic. People actually talk like this in Delhi, I’ve witnessed it firsthand.

Dhanush’s Tamil accent is still present in his Hindi delivery, but his performance more than balances it out. The audience around me laughed at his humorous moments and went silent during his intense emotional scenes, proof of how compelling he was on screen.

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Kriti Sanon, in what I would call her second-best performance after Mimi, is outstanding. Playing a woman consumed by love and struggling with addiction is no easy task, yet she makes it believable.

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Special praise must go to Prakash Raj; once again, he captures the agony of a father with such honesty that he almost moved me to tears.

A.R. Rahman works his magic yet again. The soundtrack enriches the emotional weight of the film and “Awaara Angaara” and the title score particularly stand out. They’re absolute playlist material.

Some may argue that the film glorifies toxicity, but Tere Ishk Mein is crafted with conviction. Watch it for the powerful performances and for that unforgettable cameo that will leave you wondering whether to smile or cry.

Tere Ishk Mein MensXP’s Rating: ⅘