Tanu weds Manu review

Tanu Weds Manu, is a film where you spend a decade in the movie hall (or so it feels) before the event mentioned in the title actually occurs. This feeling is largely dictated by Tanu (Kangna Ranaut) whose screechy speech uttered from her surgically plumped-up lips gets quite insufferable.

But for what it's worth, the movie also has Manu or Dr Manoj Sharma (R Madhavan), a London-returned doctor who is bride hunting across small towns in India. His first arranged marriage prospect happens to be Kanpur-based Tanu, a motor mouth (not a pun on her lips), rebel without a cause who doesn't pause between switching boyfriends or her hairstyle. Predictably, the marriage is called off, leaving Manu nursing a grumpy frown for the rest of the movie, while Tanu rolls up another joint. Yes, Tanu is a pothead and an alcoholic too (because she graduated from Delhi?).



Later, Manu hops from one wedding to another, bumping into Tanu each time around, getting progressively hopeful and smitten by her. After all, it's hard to resist her brash indifferent attitude and drunken dancing, right? The film chugs along swiftly and the first half keeps you happy at your seat with a few memorable scenes and quirky dialogues.
Unfortunately, the second half presents many pensive scenes, accompanied by Kailesh Kher-esque background outcries, suitable for the situation but an overdose becomes unsuitable for human consumption. And while several twists in the story are refreshing, Manu overlooking his battered ego to help Tanu pursue her true love just seems too fantastic.
The movie also has a fittingly chosen supporting cast. Full marks to Pappi (Deepak Dobriyal), Manu's sidekick and friend who makes his and the audience's journey enjoyable with his clowning around and spontaneity. Raja (Jimmy Shergil), as a random goon, is initially tolerable when you think his role is insignificant (like in Shergil's every other film). But he becomes a major bother later, when his unending monologues result in loud yawns and sighs reverberating in the cinema hall. It almost seems like Shergil went overboard to prove his presence in this movie and continued improvising even after the director called it a wrap, the camera stopped rolling and the cast went home.
The songs in the movie hardly create a wedding feel. But then, this isn't a typical band-baaja-dulhaniya-style wedding film. There are a few weddings in the movie but they don't occupy your mind enough. And this is perhaps a laudable aspect about the film, that it doesn't subscribe to formula, dares to stretch a one-sided love story over 99% of its total runtime and still manages to entertain you in parts.
When the name of the movie declares that Tanu weds Manu, it's clear that she won't pick Pappu, Tommy or anyone else. So, there's little surprise and just a matter of time, epiphany and function of overcoming obstacles before the inevitable happens. So managing to keep an audience seated and happy when they know how the film ends is an achievement beyond comparison. Perhaps, the only other feat that even comes close to this is Kangna balancing a red cockroach under her nose through the film. Oops! Those are her lips.