Tanu Weds Manu

Having read the synopsis, I became interested in Aanand Rai's 'Tanu Beds Manu'. The film starts amusingly, even though full of clichés. The beep slangs were funny but it would have been funnier if there was no beep but then again the makers wanted to make the movie family friendly I guess. I liked the references it makes to other Hindi films. The interaction between the characters are fun especially in the first half and Manu's initial struggle after being turned down by Tanu and peer and parental pressure are shown amusingly. I also enjoyed the scenes with Kangana Ranaut and Madhavan in this portion of the movie. It's only after the introduction of Raja Awasthi that things rapidly head downhill. From then on it becomes another generic Bollywood love triangle that has been overdone in, well, numerous Bollywood movies. At this point the film drags on and on until the predictable and overstretched ending. Madhavan does a brilliant job as the slightly nerdy goofy Manu. Comedy may not be Kangana's fort but she tries and is quite alright. Jimmy Shergill is wasted. Deepak Dobriyal is excellent. Ravi Kishen is wasted. Overall, this could have been a decently entertaining lighthearted fare all the way if it weren't for the lacklustre second half.

Tanu Weds Manu is a typical romantic comedy movie which has got interesting characters to make the viewing pleasurable. Like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, this movie also makes the mistake of revealing the climax through its title. We know that at the end Tanu is going to wed Manu due to the hastily chosen title. R Madhavan and Kangana Ranaut play the lead roles and give decent performances. Kangana plays the effervescent, rebellious, emotional girl with perfection. However, Jimmy Shergill steals the show with him playing Raja who is a small time criminal who Kangana is about to marry before deciding that she was in love with Manu. The movie takes quite a lot of creative liberties as the number of coincidences that occur in the movie are highly unrealistic. But if you view the movie for what it is, that is a family entertainer that is not meant to be taken very seriously, then it does a good job. It is a feel good movie that works.

Despite the film's incredible success, I personally found it to be a simple film with nothing but overused clichés of Hindi cinema. A mess made for theatres, suitable as television serial, though has splendid actors in it, falls short because of it's boring screenplay.

Just because you take a bakwaas bollywood film, remove all of it's cringe parts, and make a Desi film out of it with Desi music filling incessantly, doesn't make your film award deserving. It was rather disappointing.

Last Sunday, just casually I went to watch Tanu Weds Manu with a low expectation. And to my immense surprise, I felt extremely satisfied after watching it. In fact, as the movie progressed, I found myself being lost in the narrative, flowing with the storyline and the characters (mainly with the hero). This low profile movie is based on an unrealistic story of a well-educated (and well-mannered) NRI doctor, falling for a drunkard, smoker, foul-mouthed and philandering girl of a middle class family of Kanpur (it's been told that she had had her education in Delhi). However, it's the utterly realistic portrayal of this unrealistic story on the screen which makes it a winner.

As expected, the boy falling for the charms of the girl (whom he sees for the first time in a highly intoxicated state and he thought she was slept), finally wins her over first emotionally and then practically. So the end of the movie is as predictable as any other bollywood movie of the same genre. However, the twists and turns in the story alongwith the highly realistic milieu and the supporting characters involved, turn the experience of watching this movie into a highly satisfying one.

At the very outset, it reminds the viewer of Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and later it is reminiscent of Jab We Met and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge at places. However the commendable thing is that despite similarities in bits and pieces, this movie maintains an identity of its own. It's definitely not a copy of any other movie.

The locales of Kanpur, Kapurthala, Lucknow etc. have been captured by the cinematographer with a high degree of excellence for which he deserves an award for sure. The lives of the middle class people (whether they are from the prospective bride's side or the prospective groom's side) have been shown with so much naturalness that the characters and their homes look quite real and nowhere filmi. The middle-class India shown in the movie is, in fact, the real one with real flesh and blood characters that may be found at next door to us.

The first half is thoroughly gripping and entertaining whereas despite its shorter length, the second half is a bit dragging and edgy. However, overall the movie render an air of feel-good. We know that the hero will get his love in the end (after all, he is an Indian hero), still the script-writer has done a marvellous job by maintaining the curiosity throughout.

After a very long time, I listened to such soul-soothing music in a bollywood movie. So full marks to the music director as well as the lyricist.

The supporting characters of the movie are above its story; utterly real, familiar and like a gust of fresh air. Whether it's the chaddi-buddy of the hero or his present best pal, whether it's the closest friend of the heroine or the fathers of the hero-heroine duo, all are able to leave their imprints on the viewers' hearts. In fact, it's the supporting cast which is the heart and the soul of this movie.

Jimmi Shergill stands out in the predictable climax and once again proves that he's an actor par excellence. I have been an admirer of R. Madhwan since his Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein days and to me, he played the character of the mature and considerate hero, doing justice to his love at first sight, with perfection. His underplay deserves a standing ovation indeed. Many readers may not agree with me, however I found Kangna Ranaut as miscast in the role of the spoilt girl. Barring the final 15-20 minutes, I found her expressions and gestures as plastic, not emerging from her heart.

When Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge had been released, I was a heartbroken boy and not being mature enough, used to think of getting the love of my life in the style of Raj (Shah Rukh Khan). Later on, upon growing up with age only I realized that I could never be so resourceful as the larger than life character of Raj in DDLJ. However I am able to identify with Manu of TWM; the considerate, understanding, well-educated, yet old-fashioned and traditional and above all, sacrificing, true lover.

Tanu Weds Manu is an enjoyable film but sadly it never manages to be outstanding. And it could have been, had it been handled better. The film starts on a very nice note, and the first half is very good. Later on it becomes a little messy. The messiness however never takes away from the film's feel-good nature, its colour and wonderful music. The narrative style in this sense is really very good, it's very musical and makes the entire thing flow really well even if the writing is not at its potential best. The romance is particularly well-done, there's a right amount of balance in how the tension is between the two main characters, who are polar opposites, is built.

Madhavan and Kangana Ranaut might be an unlikely couple at first, but it works well. Most of the credit goes to Madhavan's wonderfully subtle and profound performance. His Manu is kind and vulnerable and very easy to empathise with. As the wild Tanu, Ranaut looks prettier than ever and has a nice energy. She does get a little screechy and over-expressive at times, but her presence makes up for much of it. The supporting cast includes a host of familiar faces, and it is Swara Bhaskar who leaves a mark in a performance that is never less than convincing. The conclusion of the story is rather predictable but it's a nice one, as is this film, a watchable and culturally rich romance.