Movie Review: Tanu Weds Manu Returns

Watched Tanu Weds Manu Returns (ok, half of it. couldn’t bear any more).

One word

Juvenile.

More words

For me, it is not about the brilliant acting by Kangana (honestly, I thought she pulled the Jat sportswoman act superbly). It is not about the beautiful photography (but maybe overdone now in Indian films). It is not even about the cliches about Indian SEC B towns (ditto as above) or about the hamming by most of the other cast members (why were there so many characters, and so 2-dimensional?). It is not about how much money the movie made (a shitload, I have been informed). It is not about any of these things at all.

A movie, or any art whatsoever, is about storytelling. If it fails to move me, connect with me, make me root for the hero (who was the hero of that film, btw?), hate the villain, laugh and cry, be scared and angry, be hopeful and feel helpless, and somewhere touch my intellect, my sensibilities, and my heart, it is not worth my time. this movie did neither.

I almost walked out after the first 5 minutes (maybe less), but stayed on because of the glowing reviews I was given by people I believe I share my likes and dislikes with. But finally, unable to bear the lack of humour (ok, I laughed slightly at one, or maybe two, scenes with Deepak Dobriyal in it), unable to find a connection with real life, unable to deal with the suspension of disbelief at so many levels, unable to understand what the story was, I finally gave up.

Questions

(1) Where is the story?; and

(2) are we so starved of genuine comedy that this passes as a super-duper hit?

Moral of the story

It is good for the movie industry, for the general public, and for my own ego and bank balance that I steered clear of the film industry. I would have absolutely sucked as a financer, producer, director, actor, distributor, or critic. If you were to give me a Rs.300 crore movie on a golden platter with a sign that says, “Rs.300 Crore Movie", I’d probably not recognise it as such. My loss, I am sure. And the film industry's gain. Overall, not a bad bargain.