Review of Tanu Weds Manu Returns

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Cast: Kangana Ranaut (Tanu and Kusum), Madhavan (Manu), Jimmy Shergill (Raja Awasthi), Deepak Dobriyal (Pappi), Ejjaz Khan (Jassi), Swara Bhaskar (Payal Rathore), Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub (Chintu aka Arun), Rajendra Gupta (Tanu’s father), KK Raina (Manu’s father), Dipti Mishra (Manu’s mother), Rajesh Sharma (Kusum’s brother)

Direction: Anand L Rai

Produced by: Kishore Lulla and Anand L Rai

Written by: Himanshu Sharma

Music: Krsna Solo, Tanishk-Vayu

Cinematography: Chirantan Das

Edited by: Hemal Kothari

Production Company: Colour Yellow Pictures

Distributed by: Eros International

Release Date: 22^nd May, 2015

Duration: 132 minutes

Language: Hindi

Tanu Weds Manu Returns, a sequel to hit Romantic Comedy firm of 2011 - Tanu Weds Manu. There is always tremendous amount of expectations from a sequel of a successful film, and it is interesting to see, how Director Anand L Rai has shaped up this movie. When I had watched Tanu weds Manu, I had always wondered how Tanu and Manu’s marriage life would shape up - two diametrically opposite individuals. If Manu had a very subtle and polite attitude, Tanu had rebellious attitude. The earlier version had its own quirks and twists, which has not changed in this movie also. The sequel is titled as Tanu Weds Manu Returns, and indeed the return is even more quirky. The tone of the movie is unapologetic, non-judgmental, and unconventional. As was the case with the predecessor, the plot grows beyond dualism, right/wrong. The characters have not changed at all, the eccentricities continue in full form in Tanu Weds Manu Returns as well. It captures the various aspects of marriage- what happens when monotony slips into marriage, when the spark misses from the relationship, how one is not able to understand the emotional challenges faced by the other, how the couple is bored in relationship and finds reasons to blame each other, set of expectations followed by disappointments with each other etc. The best part is, humour is there throughout the movie, no emotional baggage is there, no villain in the movie. Set in four locations - London, Delhi, Kanpur and a Haryana village Jhajjar, the screenplay free flows magically in absolutely entertaining manner.

Movie begins from where its predecessor stopped. Tanu is getting married to Manu. Their wedding scenes are there on screen with the background score ‘Sun Saiban Sun, Pyar ki Dhun…’.  Does ‘Happily lived thereafter’ become true for Tanu and Manu? This movie captures their lives ‘Four Years later’ after their much loud and dramatic marriage. Tanu (Kangana Ranaut) and Manu (Madhavan) are at the doctors’ desk discussing their frustration with one another. Hilarious scenes. If Tanu has complaints about Manu not showing any spark / enthusiasm in relationship;  Manu’s logic is from where to bring spark (is he a lighter) and how many times or ways he should be telling the same three words –‘I love you’. Kangana complaints about monotony in relationship. Manu interprets Tanu’s moodiness, emotional ups and downs as her having bipolar disorder and the doctor very politely puts it across to him, if that is the case, then every female on this earth might be having bipolar disorders. Both of them had a long list of blames and accusations against each other. The whole drama and conflicts makes Manu land in mental asylum and Tanu decides to come back to Kanpur. Her uneasiness of leaving Manu in mental asylum is handled in her own eccentric manner. She informs Pappi (Deepak Dobriyal, friend of Manu) in a very effortless tone regarding Manu being in mental asylum and asks him to get him out. Pappi is in his usual witty self, prefers to do the sight-seeing in London rather than directly going to the asylum. On getting Tanu’s reminder, he brings Manu out of the asylum. Both of them fly back to Delhi. Another hilarious scene is the conversation between father and the son. Manu talks to his father about his desire for giving divorce to Tanu. During their conversation, Manu’s mother is cribbing in the background and father tells him that marriage is all about compromise and so Manu must continue with his marriage. When Manu retorts saying that he had to bear the torture for four years, father says he is bearing since last 40 years. Two school of thoughts here (without any preachy dialogues).

Twist to the story happens when Manu goes to University to deliver a lecture, where he sees Tanu’s look alike Kusum Datto Sangwan, an athlete. Manu feels that in spite of dreading to fall in love, he has once again fallen in love with Kusum. Kusum has typical Haryanvi accent. Plot moves to show how he chases Kusum. Parallelly, frames are shown about Tanu being at her usual best - eccentric, unapologetic, unpredictable and rebellious. She deals with her heartbreaks in her own unique fashion. She doesn’t mind going to each and every ex-boyfriend and meet them without any emotional baggage. If Manu is dating Kusum in Delhi, Tanu is supposedly going out with Raja Awasthi (Jimmy Shergill, her ex-flame). 

Jassi (Ejjaz Khan) and Payal’s (Swara Bhaskar) marital life’s glimpse is also there in this movie. Chintu aka Arun Kumar Singh (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) is the new character, who is a tenant in Tanu’s house and an advocate by profession. He is another eccentric character.

What happens, when Tanu comes to know regarding Kusum? How is Raja Awasthi in this sequel, is he the same old Raja? Do we get to hear the bullet shots from Raja? How and when does the paths of Tanu, Manu, Kusum, Raja cross one another? Whom does Manu choose at the end – Tanu or Kusum?

Kangana rocks as Tanu and Kusum. She has actually evolved through her various roles. She has done complete justice to both the roles. One is rebel and feels that she also has the right to do whatever she wants to do and whichever way she wants to do, whereas the other takes pride in her achievements with her hard work and determination. If Tanu is the ‘Batman of her Mohalla’, Kusum is independent and responsible in her own stride. You can imagine, what happens when Tanu and Kusum come face to face. A great delight to see Kangana essaying both the roles effortlessly. Although I did feel that Kusum’s accent is not very clear in some parts, but overall, both the characters Tanu and Kusum have used their typical accent, enunciation and dialect well.

I am disappointed with Madhavan in this movie. I loved him absolutely in the first part. But here, I felt, he is tired, has nothing much to do. Very few dialogues are there with him. Is it intentional that he has been given an exhausted look? He is polite as earlier, but I am just wondering, was it possible to explore his character and demeanour differently ? Deepak Dobriyal and Ayyub excel as Pappi and Chintu. Rest of the cast are all good. Songs blend with the narratives of the film.

I also felt that the pace of the movie was comparatively slow in the second half. And certain scenes are just not realistic. But as one of the song goes: “I might be sentimental, but don’t be so judgmental”, it applies for the movie as well. Since the movie is an absolute entertainer.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns is a pure entertainer full of hilarious and eccentric scenes. Double Dhamaal with Kangana’s dual roles.

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good +)