Tere Ishq Mein Movie Review: Is It Worth Watching

Some movies arrive with so much buzz that the story itself gets drowned out. Tere Ishk Mein, starring Dhanush and Kriti Sanon, promised a sweeping, emotional romance — but when the credits rolled, many audiences were left wondering what went wrong.

Release date: 28 November 2025 ·
Director: Aanand L. Rai ·
Lead actors: Dhanush, Kriti Sanon ·
IMDb rating: 6.4/10 (as of early 2026) ·
OTT platform: Netflix ·
Box office verdict: Flop

Six key specs, one takeaway: the movie had a solid crew but couldn’t translate talent into commercial success.

The table below summarizes the key specifications of the film.

What Is the Point of the Movie Tere Ishq Mein?

Core conflict: Shankar and Mukti’s love story

• The film follows Shankar (Dhanush), a hot-headed fighter pilot, and Mukti (Kriti Sanon), a psychologist, who meet years after their breakup and confront their turbulent romantic past (Times of India).
• Their reunion forces both to revisit unresolved issues and decide whether to heal old wounds or walk away.

Themes: surrender, transformation, healing

• The title translates to “In This Love,” and the narrative explores how love can be a force of surrender that transforms people — sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.
• Director Aanand L. Rai (Times of India) and writer Himanshu Sharma embed these ideas in the dialogue and visual metaphors.

Setting: Banaras as a backdrop

• The ancient city of Banaras (Varanasi) serves as more than a location; it mirrors the characters’ spiritual and emotional journeys.
• The ghats, the Ganges, and the timeless architecture reinforce the film’s meditation on love and loss.

The implication: the movie tries to say that love is not about possession but about letting go. Whether that landed with audiences is another matter.

Is Tere Ishq Mein Worth Watching?

Critical reception summary

• Reviews are mixed. Critics praise the lead performances but criticize the plot’s pacing and the age gap between the leads (Zee News).
• Some describe it as a slow-burn romance that doesn’t quite ignite.

Audience reactions and Reddit discussions

• On Reddit, users have called it “the worst kind of movie with subpar senseless plot and miscast leads” and noted “Dhanush and Kriti had zero chemistry and he looked too old to play a college student.”
• The IMDb rating of 6.4/10 (as of early 2026) reflects a divided audience.

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strengths: A. R. Rahman’s soundtrack, cinematography, and the emotional depth of individual scenes.
• Weaknesses: Weak chemistry, sluggish pacing, and a plot that feels stretched.

The catch: the film’s visual appeal isn’t enough to overcome its narrative flaws, leaving even patient viewers frustrated.

Is Tere Ishq Mein a Hit or Flop?

Box office figures and reporting

• Sacnilk reported the film’s Day 1 India net collection at ₹16.00 crore and worldwide gross at ₹22.01 crore (Sacnilk).
• By Day 7, it had reached ₹83.65 crore net in India and ₹107.68 crore worldwide gross (Sacnilk).
• Business Standard reported the film crossed ₹100 crore globally within its first week (Business Standard).
• Zee News described the film as 2025’s second-biggest romantic opener, with a Day 1 collection of approximately ₹16 crore (Zee News).
• M9 News, citing Box Office India, reported a net collection of ₹14.75 crore on Day 1 (M9 News).

Comparison to production budget

• No official budget has been disclosed, but industry estimates suggest the film needed north of ₹150 crore to break even.
• Given its reported worldwide net of ₹161.96 crore ahead of the OTT debut (Times of India), the theatrical run was likely a loss for distributors.

OTT performance and Netflix release

• Netflix acquired streaming rights, and the film became available on 25 December 2025.
• No official viewership data has been released, but the OTT window may recoup some losses.

The pattern: a strong opening weekend suggested a hit, but word-of-mouth killed momentum. For the team behind the film, the lesson is that a star-studded cast and a famous director aren’t enough.

Is Tere Ishq Mein Raanjhanaa 2?

Similarities to Raanjhanaa

• Both films are directed by Aanand L. Rai, feature Dhanush in the lead, and explore themes of love and transformation set in Uttar Pradesh.
• The emotional intensity and Banaras setting draw direct comparisons.

Key differences

• Raanjhanaa (2013) was a coming-of-age story rooted in unrequited love; Tere Ishk Mein deals with reconciliation after a breakup.
• The screenplay is by Himanshu Sharma and Neeraj Yadav (Times of India), not a direct sequel.

Standalone status

• It is not a sequel. It is an original story with no narrative connection to Raanjhanaa.
• The presence of Dhanush and the same director creates the strongest link.

The pattern: fans expecting a spiritual successor may be disappointed. The film stands entirely on its own, for better or worse.

Does Tere Ishq Mein Have a Sad Ending?

Plot resolution (spoilers ahead)

• The ending is bittersweet. Shankar and Mukti part ways after realizing they have grown into different people.
• A final scene implies hope for the future, but the immediate resolution is one of separation.

Themes of loss and hope

• The film leans into the idea that love can exist without a happily-ever-after.
• Several Reddit discussions note the emotional gut-punch of the climax.

Audience reactions to the ending

• Some viewers found it heart-wrenching and realistic; others felt it was unnecessarily bleak.

The upshot: if you prefer closure and happy endings, this movie may frustrate you. If you appreciate nuanced, open-ended drama, it could resonate.

Who Is the Father of the Baby in Tere Ishk Mein?

Plot point explanation (with spoilers)

• The father of Mukti’s baby is a central twist in the film. Official synopses do not cover this detail, keeping it a spoiler for viewers.
• This revelation reshapes the emotional dynamics between Shankar and Mukti.

Character relationships

• The identity of the father is tied to Mukti’s past and her reasons for separating from Shankar.
• It adds layers to the theme of letting go and moving on.

Implications for the story

• The twist deepens the narrative and challenges the audience’s perception of the leads’ motivations.
• It contributes to the bittersweet tone and the message that love does not always conquer all.

The catch: the spoiler nature of this plot point means the film relies on it for emotional impact, which can feel manipulative to some viewers.

Timeline of Tere Ishq Mein

Quotes from Critics and Audiences

“Worst kind of movie with subpar senseless plot and miscast leads. Dhanush and Kriti had zero chemistry and he looked too old to play a college student.”

— Reddit user review

“A hot-headed fighter pilot and a psychologist confront their turbulent romantic past when they meet years later — with new lives and…”

— Netflix official synopsis

“Tere Ishk Mein becomes 2025’s second-biggest romantic opener, but the initial buzz didn’t translate into sustained collections.”

— Zee News

The paradox: a strong opening weekend suggested a hit, but word-of-mouth killed momentum. For Hindi cinema, Tere Ishk Mein is a reminder that audiences today value chemistry and storytelling over brand names. The lesson is that a star-studded cast and a famous director aren’t enough.

Frequently asked questions