Love conquers all, even a gun-wielding, jilted contractor from Uttar Pradesh. That was the message of Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan-starrer Tanu Weds Manu (circa 2011).
As the highly successful, highly entertaining sequel to the film, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, proves (the film has garnered over Rs 40 crore in four days since release), love really doesn't conquer all - especially not the day-to-day monotony of married life.
As we go on a whirlwind ride with Kangana's wild-child Tanu, her quiet and burgeoning from everywhere husband Manu (Madhavan), their families and friends, Manu's friend-Man Friday Pappi (Deepak Dobriyal) and a Haryanvi sports quota DU student (Kanagana again, inspired), we get 2 hours and 20 minutes of paisa-vasool fun.
Jimmy Sheirgill's Raja Awasthi may have been won over by love but the daily grind managed to defeat our loverbirds, Tanu and Manu.
We are so entertained that we have no time to consider just how over-the-top and bizarre some of the plot twists are!
Here are five things that you fell for hook, line and sinker while watching the film, but which really make no sense. We blame the superb performances, whistle-worthy dialogues, foot-tapping music and double dose of Kangana for missing all of them. (Spoiler alert)
1 As the film opens, we see Tanu and Manu going to a mental asylum to discuss their marital problems. Instead of a therapist with comfy couches and 'I-will-sort-your-life-in-30-minutes' manner, they meet a three-member panel dressed in forbidding white coats who are sitting there as if to announce judgement on who killed this marriage.
2 After an emotional round of 'he said, she said', Manu loses his cool and starts shouting at his limpid-eyed wife. What do you do when a spouse shouts at the other? Offer him/her a glass of water, remind him/her of marital vows or probably just shout back. But our panel pronounces its judgement: He is crazy and should stay in the asylum. If that's how you settle marital disputes, all married people need to be afraid, very very afraid.
3 In Delhi, we meet Datto, a state-level athlete from Haryana who is studying in Ramjas College and is from Jhajjar, Haryana. Manu directly falls in love with her because she looks a lot like his separated wife. But why does Datto, a fiercely independent and liberated woman who knows she can take care of herself, fall for middle-aged Manu with his middle-aged spread? The film never makes it clear why she is ready to take on everybody for a man who is still clearly in love with Tanu? And did someone notice that Manu was stalking the barely-in-her twenties Datto? Not cool, so not cool Doctor sahab.
4 In all the drama in Chandigarh, Pappi manages to kidnap Komal with whom he is ostensibly in love. With Manu and Datto's help, he brings her to Jhajjar. And then there is no mention of the kidnapped girl till the end credits. Did she regain consciousness? Does she try to flee? For all intents and purposes, she just vanishes from the film and our minds till we suddenly see her having dinner at a wedding. What happened to all that love, Pappiji?
5 You need to be divorced to get married again. Only Manu Sharma isn't when he is getting married with Datto. Nobody cares, not even the brother of the bride-to-be or she herself!
6 At the end, Tanu and Manu are back in love again. Like the first film, love conquers all. Only a tiff breaks out over Manu's choice of tie as the end credits roll. Either they find a therapist fast who wants to actually help them instead of finding out the meaning of jhand, or we are in for another sequel. Actually, let it be the latter because for all the holes in the story, these films are roaring fun.
