Director Sachin Kundalkar is a Maharashtrian and he wanted to bring his native flavour through Aiyya to Bollywood, which he feels has an overdose of Punjabi culture. The film, starring Rani Mukerji, is loosely based on one of the stories of Kundalkar's acclaimed Marathi film Gandha, which
means fragrance.

"Anurag (producer Anurag Kasyhap) had liked that film and wanted to make a film based on smell. That was the starting point, but the story has completely changed for Hindi," Kundalkar, who decided to set his story in a Maharasthrian family, said in a statement.

"I like Bollywood films but I am saturated with the Punjabi culture. I feel every regional sensibility has to be represented and in that respect, Mani Ratnam is my idol. He brought in the south sensibilities and since I am a Maharashtrian, I'm bringing in mine," he added. Aiyya is about a woman, who finds a man desirable because he smells good. Rani plays a Marathi girl, who falls in love with a south Indian boy, played by Malayalam actor Prithviraj.