What’s the last romantic comedy you watched? Barely a couple of years after we all sought refuge in rom-com haven to escape the pervasive doom of a global pandemic, the much-loved genre is struggling to thrive. It’s been replaced by a more angsty cousin, the intense romantic drama. The ‘com’ has taken a backseat as intensity has taken over the wheel. Why does love come embedded with anger now? What happened to the candyfloss, the bubblegum, the climactic proposal/reconciliation at the airport? What happened to all the clichés? “I think, consciously or subconsciously, we’re all reacting to the world around us. There’s a lot of uncertainty, uneasiness, and violence, whether it’s between countries or even within them. We’re all also much more aware and connected. So, how can the hate around us not get to our idea of love?,” says Aanand L Rai, who’s helmed the full range, from a rom-com franchise like Tanu Weds Manu to his blockbuster intense romance Tere Ishk Mein, starring Dhanush and Kriti Sanon, which released in cinemas last year. …