Anaswara Rajan and Abishan Jeevinth on ‘With Love’ and why love stories never get saturated

Anaswara Rajan and Abishan Jeevinth speak about their upcoming film ‘With Love,’ why love stories never get saturated, the dearth of romance dramas in Tamil and how they are handling success in this early stage of their careers

When was the last time you went to watch a simple Tamil rom-com that left you feeling warm and fuzzy? The dearth of good rom-coms in Tamil is real. Sure, we have had the likes of Dragon, Dude, Good Night, Thalaivan Thalaivii, but they all pivoted around either a genre twist, a high concept, or had other narrative aspirations. The reception for 2024’s Malayalam hit Premaluin Tamil Nadu clearly underscored the need for good old-school, simple meet-cutes, and as of now, only Aaromaley, starring Kishen Das and Shivathmika Rajashekar, has come close to fulfilling that urge. Following in those footsteps is this Valentine’s month release, With Love, which promises to be a simple, sweet rom-com that will leave you with a smile and a full heart.

As I sit with the lead actors of With Love for an interview, there are hints of banter about who gets to sit where, which must have recurred throughout the evening. It’s already midnight, and as expected, the youngsters seem quite exhausted, yet there is chirpy confidence and camaraderie, all good signs of a job well done. “We really haven’t had as many rom-coms in Tamil like we used to. Many who have wished me for With Love stated that they have been missing this genre in Tamil,” says Abishan Jeevinth, the director of last year’s blockbusterTourist Family, who is making his debut as a lead actor in With Love. Joining him in the cast as the heroine is Anaswara Rajan, the budding star of Malayalam cinema who is making her Tamil debut as a lead. The Rekhachithram-star believes that ‘love’ as a concept never goes out of fashion in cinema. “Maybe how we tell love stories might get saturated, but not love as a subject. In fact, one can speak so much through love stories, be it a person’s life, their emotions, or how their childhoods shape who they become.”

Anaswara Rajan in conversation with The Hindu about ‘With Love’ | Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B

When it comes to making romance dramas, storytellers have largely seemed divided between two opinions: that it is an easy endeavour best suited for beginners, and that love stories are of the hardest kind, as it isn’t easy to convey emotions to new-gen audiences. “It’s difficult to make a relevant love story, one that will reach everyone and connect across generations. You need to be conscious while writing because there’s only a thin line between a cheesy dialogue and an ineffective one,” says Abishan, adding that if the prose gets a tad too poetic, audiences might struggle to relate to it.

In With Love, directed by Madhan, Anaswara plays Monisha, a modern, opinionated girl, who, Anaswara says, “is someone who stays grounded to reality.” Abishan plays Sathya. “He is an innocent boy, and what I like about him the most is how he would apologise instantly when he makes a mistake and take responsibility upon himself.” From the teaser and trailer, both Sathya and Monisha appear as youngsters who carry their hearts on their sleeves. Sathya, in fact, appears quite naive and vulnerable, as someone who struggles to figure out what to say when. Is there a secret to making a character feel vulnerable while ensuring the nuances remain relatable to larger audiences? Abishan doesn’t hesitate to say that he is still figuring it out and urges the relatively more experienced Anaswara to answer. “We will, of course, imbibe the story, but not all films demand a lot of effort. In some films, you would have to dig into the many layers of the characters and see how to perform; in certain films, you just have to perform what’s required without thinking much, and that would be enough,” says the actor.

Both Anaswara and Abishan are stepping into a new year after tasting career-defining success in 2025. While Tourist Family continues to turn heads, Anaswara delivered stellar performances in Vyasanasametham Bandhumithradhikal and Rekhachithram. Abishan believes in enjoying success to the fullest, but only up to a mark. “I enjoyed everything that happened with Tourist Family to the fullest; I read all the feedback I got, and I visited many theatres and saw the reactions of the people. At the same time, once it got over, I didn’t think about it again. As of now, I am only waiting for the release of With Love.” For Anaswara, the moments of uncertainty that life in cinema is bound to throw at you balance it out. “I really enjoy my success. I do live in the moment, but there would be this tiny moment at which you would worry about the future, about what will happen next, and there will be this tiny moment when you would regret your past decisions. Those tiny moments would definitely take you out of that zone,” she says.