Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub & Anand L. Rai Movies Together List — 4 Films

The shape of the work

The 2010s account for 75% of everything they made together. The 2010s belonged to Tanu Weds Manu Returns; the 2020s to Tere Ishk Mein. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub acted in every film; Anand L. Rai directed all of them. Mostly Hindi, with 1 film in Hindi .

Partnership facts

• Aanand L. Rai cast Zeeshan in Raanjhanaa after seeing him in a small role in Firaaq. But Zeeshan almost didn't get the part — Rai was initially unsure if he could pull off the intensity of the friend-zoned lover. Zeeshan auditioned twice before Rai said yes.
• In Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Rai let Zeeshan improvise most of his lines as the quirky lawyer Pappi. Zeeshan would show up on set with three different versions of a scene, and Rai would pick the wildest one. That's how 'Mauka mauka' became a national catchphrase.
• The 'Mauka mauka' line from Tanu Weds Manu Returns was so popular that it spawned a whole meme trend during the 2015 India-Pakistan cricket World Cup match. Fans still tag Zeeshan whenever the two teams play. That catchphrase exists only because Rai trusted Zeeshan to go off-script.
• Zeeshan has said that Rai is the only director who calls him just to check in — not about work, but to ask if he's eating well or sleeping okay. They still talk every few months, even though they haven't made a film together since 2018.
• "Aanand sir doesn't direct you. He creates a space where you can be the worst version of yourself, and then he pulls out the best." — Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, in a 2019 interview with Film Companion.