Raanjhana is one of those films that divides audiences even 12 years after it released. People who love the film think Raanjhana is a Bollywood classic, despite its flaws. And then there are those who think the flaws in the story are irredeemable. So when the buzz of changes in the story started, there was cautious optimism among Bollywood fans. The production house Eros International recently announced that Sonam Kapoor and Dhanush’s film would re-release but with an AI-altered, happy ending. In the original climax, Dhanush’s character, Kundan, dies after being shot at a rally. Eros International now wants to create a climax in which Kundan survives. The director of Raanjhana, Aanand L Rai, and writers of the film have been vocal against this move, saying it’s a “gross violation” of the film’s integrity.

For viewers, Bollywood re-releases are all about nostalgia. But in the case of Raanjhana, the nostalgia will come mixed with the realisation that the story hasn’t aged well. Or so we hope. The climax was never the problem with Raanjhana. Here’s what was problematic from the very beginning.

Romanticising harassment is just the tip of the Raanjhana iceberg

We all know that Kundan stalks Zoya and harasses her. As a teenager, he makes a public spectacle of their short-lived romance. According to Kundan, the first tactic to approach a girl is “subah se shaam peechha karo, prem patra likho” and when that fails, “ladki ko daraa do“. Teenager Kundan slits his wrist in front of Zoya to force her to say that she loves him. And the film portrays this as a successful attempt from the boy. Later, when they meet as adults, his tactic changes to “Kaat chuke hain apni kalaai, iss baar tumhari kaatenge“. This threat elicits no reaction from anyone in the film except a mild ‘What’s wrong with you?’. To make this worse, Zoya, almost immediately, asks Kundan, the man who just threatened her, to help her get out of an arranged marriage. Does this mean the filmmakers thought it was okay for a man to casually threaten a woman’s life just because she said no to him?

A woman’s choice holds no value

Zoya grows up and moves on from her teenage crush. Perfectly normal, but not for our lovesick stalker. Kundan cannot take no for an answer and chases Zoya relentlessly. The fault is shown to lie with Zoya though and not with Kundan who is hung up on a girl he crushed on as a kid. Even Zoya doesn’t give much importance to her own choice. The film shows her going to Kundan for help constantly till things take a deadly turn. In reality, however, a one-sided love and threats of violence don’t encourage women to go to the same man for help all the time.

How do you think this translates for women in real life who have to deal with men stalking, threatening, and harassing them in the name of “love”?

Kundan and Murari force their friend Bindiya to frame a man

Bindiya, played by Swara Bhaskar, is forced to frame Zoya’s prospective fiance, a doctor, for sexual harassment. Just so that Zoya doesn’t have to marry him. Bindiya doesn’t want to do any of this. She is dragged into this, kicking and screaming, by the man she loves and childhood friend. Bindiya is slapped to the point of tears to make it look real. And this entire sequence is supposed to be funny.

Kundan’s “love” is to be taken seriously, but Bindiya’s love is a joke

Kundan literally falls on the ground laughing at Bindiya after one of her hundred attempts to profess her love. Bindiya’s interactions with Kundan are mostly fodder for laughs. But when Kundan is dreaming of Zoya, the film backs it up with romantic music and slo-mo dream sequences. Like Kundan, Bindiya too is hung up on her childhood crush but her love is the consistent butt of all jokes. Bindiya or her family think nothing of Kundan’s sudden, rude proposal of marriage and happily start preparing for the wedding.

The “hero” in Zoya’s life doesn’t think harassment is a big deal

When Zoya tries to have a conversation with Jasjeet, he dismissively says, “Aapko university chhod ke heroine ban jaana chahiye“. In response, his male friend says, “Arre nahi bhai. University mein jab se bandi aayi hai, dil lag gaya hai“. When Zoya tries to leave quietly, Jasjeet, the man of her dreams, mocks her with an irrelevant political taunt. Zoya then questions his politics, and Jasjeet grabs her violently, pulls her uncomfortably close to him and tells her why she’s wrong. This interaction makes Zoya want him, not loathe him.

A man puts another man in danger…and they blame the woman

When Jasjeet is lying in a hospital bed after being thrashed for lying about his religion, he tells Kundan, “Dilli sarkar hamaara kuchh nahi bigaad paayi, ek ladki ke chakkar mein maare gaye“. To which Kundan replies, “Hum bhi ussi chakkar mein maare gaye“. Then they both share a giggle and Jasjeet says, “Yaar inn ladkiyon ke dimaag ke hisaab se kuchh bhi nahi karna chahiye“. Not one of the men question themselves for going along with a foolish plan or getting someone beaten to eventual death.

Kundan hijacks Zoya’s political career and becomes the star of the film

After being the cause of all pain in Zoya’s life, Kundan still stalks her…and she says nothing to him. She just tolerates his presence around her stone-faced. Even Jasjeet’s sister says nothing to him when she sees him at their university as if women feel no anger or need for revenge like a male character would have in the same scenario. Kundan then proceeds to upstage Zoya every chance he gets and makes his own mark in her political party. With encouraging music and his victim’s sister to tell us Kundan is right. To really drive the hero worship home, Zoya is shown to be jealous of his accidental success, driving her to participate in a plot to get rid of him. But the film ends with her falling in love with him as he lies dying in front of her.

Till the very end, Kundan is the “good boy” who is willing to die for the woman he loves. Everything he does is forgotten and forgiven because he does it for love. Meanwhile, Zoya and every other woman in the film remain spectators to their own lives. Whether the makers change the ending or not, no AI tool can fix the fundamental problems in Raanjhana. Or the flawed mindsets that still celebrate this film in 2025.

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