MOVIE ZING

Tanu Weds Manu is released on friday 25th February 2011 Starring R. Madhvan and Kangana Ranuat in main leads and Directed by Anand L Rai.



Delhi boy Manoj Sharma aka Manu (Madhavan) is engaged to Kanpur girl Tanuja Trivedi aka Tanu (Kangana Ranaut). But the engagement is soon called off. Manu stumbles upon Tanu once again at a friend’s wedding. While Manu is smitten once again, Tanu reveals of her plans to elope with her boyfriend Raja (Jimmy Sheirgill). Though heartbroken, Manu plays the selfless Shahrukh prototype and offers to make things simpler for the duo. The rest as they say is history.

The attempt to camouflage the conventionalism of the screenplay through Kangana’s nonconformist character, who smokes, drinks and abuses, doesn’t work. Gone are the days when love triangles were about who will win the girl. Today the winner is preset and it’s only about how will he win the girl. That adds to the predictability of the plot. Plus this is the zillionth time that the climactic showdown between the male leads resorts to the Kuch Kuch Hota Hain culmination.

What still make you sit through the film are the spirited performances and Anand L Rai’s direction. With a North-Indian backdrop, the director tries to keep the proceedings lighthearted and doesn’t fall prey of melodrama. Some smart lines by Himanshu Sharma help salvage the situation. Also when the reticent Manu, empowered by love, overcomes his vulnerability, the traditional narrative gains a new dimension. However neither is the Madhavan-Kangana chemistry hot-n-happening nor is the music inspiring enough to add to the romance.

Kangana Ranaut shows immense improvement in her comic timing (after the disastrous No Problem) with a fulsome free-spirited performance. However her peculiar accent and stressed dialogue delivery dilute her otherwise natural act. Madhavan resourcefully underplays his introvert character and is remarkable when he expresses his emotions with a lump in his throat.

Deepak Dobriyal can add life to any character that he plays. He is to Manu what Circuit is to Munnabhai. As Manu’s loyal sidekick he is absolutely outstanding. Eijaz Khan gives a solid performance as Manu’s sturdy Sardar pal. Swara Bhaskara as Tanu’s companion-cum-confidante is fantastic and a talent to look forward to. Though Jimmy Sheirgill doesn’t work as the surprise packet of the film, he has a commanding presence. Ravi Kishen is wasted in a two-bit role.

Tanu Weds Manu is watchable but not one of those unmissable movies.