Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015) Reviews

• The trick is in being original

  saba21152015-05-22

  I had watched the prequel and loved it. It was a perfect film and a breath of fresh air in the turgid environment of Bollywood. So when the sequel came, we booked our tickets a week in advance and waited eagerly for the feast we were sure of. If you are not seeking hundred percent verisimilitude the film meets all your expectations. We were in a late late night show (in a foreign country) and the theatre was full. People were clapping, hooting with laughter and enjoyment and were thoroughly engaged with the film. The film is about what happens to Tanu and Manu four years down the line. In that, it's quite predictable. Disappointment, resentment, regret, a desire to turn the clock back -all these describe the madcap Tanu (Kangana)who makes her way home after getting her husband, Manu,thrown into a mental asylum for being boring and callous like most husbands.What follows is a mad trajectory of passive marital rage interspersed with a clever balance of realism, comedy and pathos. This is done so well and so effortlessly that you are carried along, now laughing, now upset, now understanding, now sad, now nodding your head in recognition at some situation or dialogue. Without giving away the story, suffice it to say that Aanand Rai has proved that the public is ready to accept an indie film provided it's honest, original and clean. Here, Kangana steers the film and the rest of the cast perform seamlessly. Madhavan plays second fiddle to Kangana but with perfect élan. Deepak (Pappi) is our new Johnny Walker, fresh, natural and without the contortions of our so called stand ups. I love Jimmy Shergill and feel sad that he is visible only in glimpses. Yes, Banno, your swagger is immensely sexy, attractive, rib tickling and I am rooting for ya. You go, gal!

  More

• Just what the doctor ordered!

  psbanerjee2015-05-22

  .....after you have been mentally slaughtered on an over-hyped film like Bombay Velvet the week before, TWMR is a breath of fresh air. Excellent script, great direction and wonderful performances make this a must-watch romantic-comedy. The attention to detail in character design, setup and dialects is worth mentioning. Even if you haven't watched the prequel, it stands on it's own right and leaves you with a feel good happy feel. It slightly loses it's grip somewhere close to the climax, but that aside, it's brilliant. Go and enjoy!

  More

• Alcohol ...... Alcohol ............ Alcohol

  DhaporShaankh2015-05-28

  Killed all the goodwill created by original Tanu weds Manu. Killed romance, killed innocence sweetness and respectful relationships. Madhavan character goes from shy handsome NRI boy to confused perverted prick running behind teenage girls. Kangana character goes from liberal revolting teenager coming to her senses eventually, to a drinking slut who has affairs with everyone from rickshaw walla to a brotherly relative. She puts her husband in mental asylum, goes on a hawas trip to find suitable match for herself while still married. Jassi turns from a gabru sardar to impotent wimp, payal from a sensible UP girl to evil housewife who hides from her husband that he is not really father of their baby. And wine and alcohol industries must have paid serious money to production house becoz they are promoting drinking like anything. Everybody is drinking in every scene of the movie. Watch out for your urges and your liver! 3 stars for datto's character and all the laughs.

  More

• Wow - just wow!

  lamemoviesguy2015-05-23

  And it's a wow for the full team of TWMR - the actors, the director, the music director(s), the producer(s), the editor, the art director(s) and even the costume designer - these guys have created sheer magic on screen! More on that later. Let us talk of weaknesses/ disappointments first. No - unlike most other great reviewers here and elsewhere, I have absolutely no problem with the climax - in my view, like any good Shakespearean comedy, the movie is about the events and human behavior that lead to the climax rather than the climax itself. And I absolutely loved the second half of the movie. In fact, two of my favorite scenes from the movie are the one where Tanu wanders out with a song by Geeta Dutt in her drunk head and gets a short-hair wig attached, and the one where she dances to "Ghani Bawri" like a crazy lady in distress. It is in the first half that I have my biggest discomforts with the movie - I found that half way too hurried. No doubt the first half has very clever scenes and sharp dialogs, but its racy pace fails to explain certain situations in the movie. How does Kusum Sangwan fall in love with a married man twice her age, which appears to happen in a single song? - perhaps love is blind and crazy and all that, but I feel that needed a bit more support from the screenplay. One of my favorite scenes from the first half is Tanu and Manu's face-off before the psychiatric panel - the dialogs and acting in that scene are mind-blowing - however, a single outburst of anger is not enough to imprison someone for aggressive behavior - that also needed a bit more support from the screenplay. Basically the movie's structure reminded me of Benigni's "La vita è bella" - hilarious in the first half and somber in the second. Yes, I can understand that such a structure makes the emotional impact of the second half more forceful but the first half needed a little bit (not a lot) of extension to put everything perfect. For the sake of completeness here, I should mention that another amazingly witty scene in the first half is where Manu's mom continues a monologue about electricity while her husband and son are conversing in another room - what a talent of extracting comedy from simple and realistic situations and characters! Now the good (other than what's already above). Everything is good and some things are outstanding. The movie is one of the most entertaining I have seen in years - across Bollywood and Hollywood. Screen-play (story and dialog) is superb, just superb. Make no mistake - as the title says, this still is Tanu and Manu's story - all others are side characters - a reviewer from "The Hindu" said very correctly - the movie can be given the subhead "The taming of Tanu". It is a Shakespearesque comedy with twists, some of them not so believable owing to lack of support from the play, but highly entertaining. This movie is an example of how excellent performances easily conceal the flaws of the play. The dialogs in the movie are however mind-blowing - one cannot but appreciate the sense of humor of the writer. Music is wow. I cannot imagine any other background score or songs could have supported the screen-play so well. My favorites are "Ghani Bawri" and "Move On". Having heard the songs earlier on, I was looking forward to "O Saathi mere" but it was missing from the version I watched (in USA). Regarding acting, Madhavan is outstanding. His stolid facial muscles, expressions and eyes say it all. Swara Bhaskar is excellent in her role and so are Jimmy Shergill and Deepak Dobariyal. I do not know the name of the actor who plays Tanu's new lover in this sequel but he is outstanding. And of course, Kangana owns the movie. By now, most people appreciate what a performer she is - this is her best so far - easily reminds one of Meryl Streep. The characters in order of my liking of the performances: 1. Tanu, 2. Kusum, 3. Manu, 4. Tanu's new lover, 5. Tanu's dad, 6. Tanu's friend, 7. Raja, 8. Pappiji, 9. Manu's mom, 10. Tanu's mom. I do not know who other than Rai could have directed this movie - while at the helm such an outstanding ensemble cast, he paints such a beautiful but totally realistic tapestry of north Indian life - be it UP, Punjab or Haryana, and this one has a little mix of Gujarat also thrown in. Sounds and visuals in the background, the small banal activities, the chaos, public behavior and attitude - it is all there to a T. The direction of the movie reminds one of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, but Rai has his own style. Kangana has been given enough space to show her talents. Madhavan has been asked to provide a restrained performance. Their odd chemistry sparks on screen. I felt in my heart the loss of Tanu and Manu splitting, thanks in part to the second half of the movie having been given time and space for emotions to develop. When a prominent character in the movie stated on screen that "nobody" is happy from Manu's second marriage, that "nobody" included me. This movie is a grand mix of old and new styles of Hindi cinema, not meaning that it does not have its own unique style. It is an absolute must-watch. Do not over-analyze - just enjoy!

  More

• A Post-Mortem Of Love & Marriage Powered With Avalanche of sentiments, laughs, tears and emotions

  mohulghosh2015-05-23

  The problem with love marriages is that, they are based on expectations; and once this thin line of 'trust' is broken; the very existence of 'love' and 'marriage' becomes suspicious. But should the couple break off or attempt to rejoin the broken links? Anand. L. Rai, the director who gave us the fabulous Tanu Weds Manu, returns with a sequel, and well, hits it hard. It a blunt post mortem of a love marriage, which goes wrong somewhere. Fueled by an avalanche of sentiments, tears and emotions, TWMR creates another magic. Although we can't compare the first and second parts; but if someone puts a gun at my head, and asks to.. then I will not take more than a second to tell that this one is better in every aspect. The screenplay is fast, and tightly edited, and the dialogues perfectly blends with the tradition and culture of Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhajjar (Harayana). When it comes to Delhi, then again, the director chooses the most appropriate locations which correctly portray the color of the situation (example: Purana Quila, Delhi Zoo, a small apartment in West Delhi and more) The movie belongs to Kangana Ranaut, who plays the double role, and manages it in the most magnificent manner. The way she molds into a Harayani athlete studying in Delhi University is simply amazing. While the original 'Tanu' is showcased even more sophisticated, urbane, vulnerable, glamorous and drama queen; 'Datto' is practical, focused, strong, and knows where she is going. Heck, she even fights her own family inorder to marry Sharma ji (Madhavan). It's really amazing how Kangana always manages to get immersed in the character, and learn the assent, the style, the attitude so seamlessly. As I am thinking hard, I can't even imagine Priyanka or Anushka to even attempt such a role. Vidya Balan is the only name which I can recall right now, who can give her a fight in the most crucial department called acting. Hats off! And, Madhavan! He manages to maintain the consistency of his character, Sharma ji, who is confused, angry and lost.. He knows that he is doing something which he doesn't really believe in; he knows that he still loves Tanu, but still he falls for the charms of Datto, and begins a journey which changes everything. (I saw ladies in the theater, shredding tears when Kangana roams around the village, with a glass of whiskey and sad old Bollywood song playing in the background) The humor and the wit continue from where the first part ended, and actually amplifies the whole effect. Deepak Dobriyal, the magician once again weaves his magic and the spontaneous, crude, timely and hilarious dialogues delivered by him forces the audience to laugh out really loud. TWMR is probably the first movie in 2015 where I saw the audience going crazy with laughter in so many scenes and dialogues. Jimmy Shergil's Raja Avasthi gets little footage, but his existence is very crucial. He again finds himself as a victim when it comes to getting married; but he takes it easily this time and doesn't make much noise. It's the internal fight within Tanu and Manu which is the soul of the movie. Datto is the catalyst, and magnifies the gap which is already present between them. I will give it a 9 - Highly recommended for those, who are still mystified with love.

  More