By : Salman Mushtaq
Director: Aanand L. Rai
Banner: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures Paramhans Creations and Movies N More Pvt. Ltd.
Story: Himanshu Sharma
Cinematography: Chirantan Das
Music: Krashana
Cast: R. Madhvan, Kangana Ranaut, Jimmy Shergill, Ravi Kissen, Deepak Dobriyal, Rajendra Gupta, K K Raina, Eijaz Khan, Swara Bhaskar
C: Ek Baar Chalta Hai
In a country obsessed with wedding “Tanu Weds Manu” strikes the right chord. Right from the first shot till the end one there’s “shaadi, shaadi and lots of shaadi.” It explores the age-old arranged marriage concept of India, also throwing light at the present scenario. Where else will you find a perfectly eligible man getting married because of “family pressure”? Or two adult individuals deciding the most important decision of their lives in a few minutes? Welcome to India!!!
The story is simple and oft repeated. We have Manoj Sharma, aka Manu (R.Madhvan) a decent, obedient son, who comes all the way from London to get married as per his parents’ wishes. Then we have Tanuja Trivedi or Tanu (Kangana Ranaut), a rebel from Kanpur, who does not want to be “customized” by some man. And as they say opposites attract. Our guy falls for this “loud-mouthed” “C-word spitting” “manizer” (In case you are wondering what “manizer” means then let me tell you it’s a word I coined to describe a woman who changes men every week/month or year. Opposite of womanizer, simple) When the “baat” finally gets “pakki”, Tanu drops a bomb on Manu by telling him, while smoking a cigarette (so much for “UP ke Sanskaar”), that she is in love with a contractor (Jimmy Shergill) whose name she has tattooed on her chest. She demands (no please, no request) Mr. Pacemaker (Manu’s profession in the movie) to call off the wedding. He dutifully obliges. But he just cannot get the woman out of his mind or heart. As luck would have it, destiny brings Tanu and Manu together again at a friend’s, you guessed it right, WEDDING. Will Ms. Confused finally say “I do” to Mr. Sacrifice? Go and find out.
Okay, let me first tell you what goes against the movie- its dragging pace. This couple of hours movie seems like an eternity, especially towards the end. In this world, where people love instant gratification, TWM is too slow. Long, senseless dialogues simply test the patience of the audience. Second thing which is hard to digest is the huge patience of the hero. Which guy will put up with a girl who treats him like crap? And for what? The girl is neither a looker nor refined. The third weak point is the story- nothing refreshing about it.
Having said that, TWM does offer entertainment to its audience. I am sure each one of us can relate to some moments in the movie. Be it NRI returning to find “Indian susheel” girl or “ladki dekhne ki rasam” or mother bragging about her so-called “cultured” daughter to get her married- these are episodes picked up from life. You might end up saying to the one sitting next to you, “Hey this happened with me.”
Performance by R. Madhvan as a shy guy is good. Rajat (Rajendra)Gupta as the father of the bride and K.K Raina as the groom’s father are convincing. But the guy who will catch your attention is Deepak Dobriyal (Pappi), a typical UP “bhai” who happens to be Manu’s friend, guide, confidante. His effortless acting is worth watching. As for Kangana Ranaut she looked miserable and acted far worse. A dialogue delivery classes rather than a cosmetic surgeon will do a world of good to your career Ms. Ranaut.
Another aspect which is commendable about the movie is the characterization. You will see typical characters which you meet so often. Like the worried mother of “30 something guy” who cannot find a single suitable girl for her son or friend who is eager to get you tied down to the woman who is not even remotely interested in you.
Music by Krashana is nothing great. How can a movie about wedding not have lots of “band baaja wala gana”? After all we are Indians!!! I wonder if the songs will survive even one wedding season. Fingers are crossed.
By all means, go and watch the movie if you love “shaadi, shehnayee and suhaagraat”. Don’t forget to take along your mom, Pammy mausi, Sheila chachi and the whole ladies gang.

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SALMAN MUSHTAQ
MOB:0333-7465571
Email: mani@bzupages.com
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