Manmarziyaan

wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list (?)

quick review:

Confused lovers in films bore me. I can’t empathise with them any longer. Despite that, the performances took me through, they are that good.

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Director: Anurag Kashyap
Running time: 135 minutes
Genres: Romance
More Movie Info

Manmarziyaan - Preview

Interestingly, the biggest draw isn’t that Manmarziyaan is an Anurag Kashyap film. It is the actors, the music and even the promise of a “different” love story, even if it is only slightly so. At least, the trailer doesn’t feel like the film has the Kashyap edginess to it. If it is true, while we may miss that bit, it will be refreshing to see something different from the director.

That aside, I look forward to film by all three lead actors – the slowly becoming reliable despite being predictable, Tapsee Pannu, a seemingly worthy comeback by Abhishek Bachchan and the new strong actor on the block, Vicky Kaushal. Even in the worst of films, this combination is intriguing and promising. Of course, the story has the typical love triangle feel to it where both the contenders seem equally worthy. This might as well be the downer. But, you never know. With this combination of cast, director, music director, even the lamest premises could be intense and entertaining.

Manmarziyaan releases on 14 September, 2018.

Music Reviews:
Indian Express – "2.5/5"
F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b - "Of course it is Anurag Kashyap‘s collaboration with Amit Trivedi. Of course they have delivered, big time."

- meeta, a part of the audience

Disclaimer: I watched Manmarziyaan immediately after I watched Love Sonia and I was shaken up. It took me a while to settle into Manmarziyaan.

For each one of the main characters, I found myself gasping, “What did you think would happen? Huh?” Only to be reminded that I know a person like that in real life.

~ ~ ~

A grown-up guy is in love, and he wants to own her – the filmy-crazy type. An even more grown-up guy is in love with the same girl, and he wants her to be his but he is the “if you love someone, set them free” types. The girl loves one, then the other, then both, then one. It is as simple or as complicated as confused love can be. Masked as modern-day love because you know tinder and facebook, and of course the girl is liberated about her sexual desires, Manmarziyaan is as restricted in its approach towards a girl’s emotional dependence on “marriage” as almost any other film in the genre. However, the takeaway are the performances,

All three lead actors are brilliant. Some more than the others. Vicky Kaushal's avatar as the immature, irresponsible Punjabi DJ is such a contrast from his other innocent, gullible characters that he has your jaw dropped in awe at the contrast. That is when you remember he is Vicky Kaushal. For the most part, he is RJ Vicky Sandhu. Tapsee Pannu plays the confused but crackling character to perfection. It is refreshing to see Abhishek Bachchan back in a worthwhile role. He hasn’t lost his way with emoting using just a shift in his eyes. However, it is difficult to say whether it is the subdued character he plays or his diffidence showing in some scenes. The other characters add to the milieu of Amritsar, though no one stands out.

Other than the performances there are some sparkling situations, dialogue, lyrics, and music. However, the quirkiness added with twins showing up randomly in different places seems too forced. Thankfully, the characters are as real as they are annoying. At some point or the other in the film, for each one of the main characters, I found myself gasping, “What did you think would happen? Huh?” Only to be reminded that I know a person like that in real life. You might disagree with their choices, but given their personalities, they are consistent. Mostly. One of them has a couple of out-of-character reactions that change the course of the story.

That unexplained behaviour makes the story weaker with the already weak premise of a love triangle. My indifference to confused characters whose only job description seems to be in love doesn’t help. I won’t call the intensity of their love unreal because it takes all kinds to make this world, but the ferocious passion is repeated often enough in our cinema to lead me to ennui.

- meeta, a part of the audience

35 reviewers(?) - 20 yays 12 so-so 3 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Bolly Spice : ...Manmarziyan takes the traditional love triangle to a new level of expression, articulating an idiom that cannot entirely avoid tedium. After Rumi marries Robbie the narrative runs out of steam. There are repetitive scenes in the second-half which could do with some serious pruning. In spite of its flawed flow due to its extended length Manmarziyan is a winsome romantic tale which dares to ask a very basic question from diehard romantics: love is all very well, but what else?... full review

Thumbs up, Bollywood Hungama : ...On the whole, MANMARZIYAAN comes across as a contemporary and an unorthodox tale laced with some brilliant performances and powerful writing. The bold theme of the film might restrict its appeal but its target audience is sure to give the film a thumbs up.... full review

Thumbs up, by Tushar P. Joshi, Bollywood Life : ...Manmarziyaan is long but the reward its three leads - Abhishek, Taapsee and Vicky offer in terms of their performances, is worth the time. Like love, Manmarziyaan needs to be watched with your heart, the mind can take a short nap.... full review

Thumbs up, by Mayur Sanap, Deccan Chronicle : ...At the end, Anurag Kashyap’s spin on modern love has a lot of heart and depth. The film especially deserves a watch for trying to do something different to what we commonly see in romantic cinema. It’s a story well acted and well told.... full review

Thumbs up, by Meena Iyer, DNA : ...While Manmarziyaan keeps you dreaming of a state of Utopia, it also keeps you pining for Abhishek. It’s a pity this actor doesn’t accept more work.... full review

Thumbs up, by Anupama Chopra, Film Companion : ...Like love, this film is messy and flawed and glorious. You have to sign up for all of it. I’m going with three and a half stars.... full review

Thumbs up, by Rahul Desai, Film Companion : ...Maybe, on some twisted level, his limitations suit Manmarziyaan’s playful penchant for contrasts. You’d rather have a kind-looking actor overplay a version of himself rather than explosive actors underplaying the notion of madness. Either way, trust the refined man’s eyes to light up when he notices an alert that reads: “Rumi has sent you a friend request.” How’s that for duality?... full review

Thumbs up, by Devansh Sharma, Filmfare : ...Shot well by Sylvester Fonseca and edited well by Aarti Bajaj, the film scores on technical fronts as well. Summing up, Anurag has made a Silsila for the Tinder generation. Yash Chopra would have approved...... full review

Thumbs up, by Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Gulf News : ...While a part of you may wonder if Kashyap and his worthy actors played it safe in the climax by re-enforcing the parents-know-best-for-kids narrative, it isn’t a deal breaker. You are invested in their lives, warts and all. Put a ring on Manmarziyaan, you won’t regret that choice.... full review

Thumbs up, by R.M. Vijayakar, India West : ...From the rest, Vikram Kocchar remains a natural scene-stealer (as in his sitcom “Sumit Sambhal Lega”) as Robbie’s elder brother, and his expressions and comments, especially on his parents, are a scream. Ashnoor Kaur as the quiet cousin is winsome, and both Neetu Kohli (Robbie’s mother) and the actress playing Rumi’s aunt are excellent.... full review

Thumbs up, by Anita Iyer, Khaleej Times : ...'Manmarziyaan' delivers the angst, the duality of characters, and muddled minds of the tinder generation that many new-age films failed to bring to the fore at times. It is a fulfilling love story that is crafted with care and is a must watch.... full review

Thumbs up, by Umesh Punwani, koimoi : ...All said and done, Manmarziyaan is not your hunky dory love story. It has love in a more realistic form backed by some outstanding performances. The music lifts up the purpose of the film proving the point Kashyap wants to say i.e. Do what pleases your heart!... full review

Thumbs up, by Uday Bhatia, Live Mint : ...Anurag Kashyap’s latest is a love triangle that’s both unsparing and surprisingly tender... full review

Thumbs up, by Mayank Shekhar, MiD DAY : ...And what's mainstream, without some fantastic music — in this case, lots of Punjabi hip-hop from what, you can instantly tell, is a terrific Amit Trivedi soundtrack, with fun, pop-ish lyrics that I suspect will grow on an audience, once on repeat mode. Totally loved that line, "Dhyan kithe? Dhyan Chand!" Yup, your dhyan ought to be on this movie as well. Fully.... full review

Thumbs up, by Jaidev Hemmady, Movie Talkies : ...The dialogues and situations are relatable and the characters have been written with much thought… another thing worth mentioning about the film is its music, which is definitely one of the highlights of the film. If you ever thought that Kashyap was incapable of making anything other than dark cinema, you should definitely watch ‘Manmarziyaan’.... full review

Thumbs up, by Kunal Guha, Mumbai Mirror : ...Love triangles are as old as cinema itself. But this one marks an evolution of the genre that most reduce to “who gets the girl?” and comprehensively concludes that often, love is not all it takes.... full review

Thumbs up, by Rohit Vats, News18.com : ...One of the finest filmmakers of our time, Anurag shows his range with Manmarziyaan. In one of his most easygoing films, he manages to add his touch to an otherwise old theme, and that makes Manmarziyaan a film worth spending time on.... full review

Thumbs up, by Manisha Lakhe, Now Running.com : ...The first half takes a while to sink into your bloodstream, but not if you have loved all the wrong ones. The second half plays with your heart and you can actually imagine Anurag Kashyap grinning over steak and kidney pie watching you turn into mush. It's a predictable tale written on your heart with a whip. Go watch it!... full review

Thumbs up, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...Manmarziyaan explores the depths of Anurag Kashyap's versatility. And the indulgence he is often accused of shows up only towards the end to provide answers of what should have ended at a request.... full review

Thumbs up, by Rachit Gupta, Times of India : ...This new-age love story with Facebook friend requests and Tinder conversations, also has the charm and depth of an old-school love saga. The motif of twins, peppered right through the film is funny and random but if you dig deep, you will probably find out why. At times, the story might be a little too deep for millennials, but Manmarziyaan is one of the best romantic movies to come out of Bollywood in a long time.... full review

So-So, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...Summing up, MANMARZIYAAN has its merits but the expression of love in it seriously suffers when it gets over-stylized with forced fake portrayals and unreal characterizations. So where I couldn’t enjoy it as I wished to, may be you can enjoy it more being unaware of the actual details and real life references.... full review

So-So, by Deepa Gahlot, cinemaah : ...Manmarziyaan is the kind of film that is watchable and disappointing at the same time-- like so much of Kashyap's work.... full review

So-So, by Johnson Thomas, Free Press Journal : ...Anurag doesn’t even try to answer the questions he has raised, he does manage to convince us that whatever Rumi’s choice may be, it is hers to make – irrespective of the fallout. It’s really heartening to see a role where the woman is portrayed as assertive right from the word go. With energetic, vibrant support from Vicky Kaushal, Tapsee Pannu makes Rumi one of the most passionate, aware and powerful characters on screen. She doesn’t have to go through a melodramatic crying binge to reveal her steel. She just is!... full review

So-So, by Raja Sen, Hindustan Times : ...A film can certainly do both things, but Manmarziyaan, unable to find the balance, gives us a drama that doesn’t add up and eventually feels like a drag. It’s all a bit of a Manmarzi--yawn.... full review

So-So, by Ananya Bhattacharyal, india today : ...The film benefits from Amit Trivedi's fabulous soundtrack. Songs like Daryaa and Halla stay with you after you leave the theatre. Rumi and Vicky stay with you after the end credits roll. But Manmarziyaan lets you go with the feeling that you've just seen Dev D from a Paro's point of view. Except, a mediocre version.... full review

So-So, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...Manmarziyaan, laced with humour and warmth, is a love story with flashes - only flashes, not a sustained flow - of inspiration.... full review

So-So, by SHILPA JAMKHANDIKAR, Reuters : ...For a film that waxes eloquent about the unpredictability and volatility of love, the end feels like an unnecessary cop-out.... full review

So-So, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...Kashyap’s movie takes far too many scenes to achieve a similar effect. The ambition to create a romcom with depth is actually realised in a rare quiet and lovely sequence, in which a woman and a man take a long walk and assess the things that people have to do to be with each other. The vim and the wit of other parts of the film are missing here, but they are not actually missed.... full review

So-So, by Troy Ribeiro, Sify Movies : ...Overall, Manmarziyaan is a love story treated with a difference and it is the performances that keep you glued to the screen.... full review

So-So, by Karan Bali, Upper Stall : ...All in all, Manmarziyaan, through breaking some tropes of the Hindi film love triangle finally finds itself in no man’s land as it unsuccessfully tries to combine the unconventional and the conventional. The oil and water, for all the whisking even by an expert director like Kashyap, do not mix after all.... full review

So-So, by Rummana, yahoo! India : ...Despite the flaws and a somewhat longish runtime, ‘Manmarziyan’ does have its moments. Watch it for Taapsee and Abhishek. If you ever had a tough time making up your mind about whom to love and found yourself being overruled by the heart time and again, this one is for you.... full review

Thumbs down, by Anna MM Vertticad, annavetticadgoes2themovies : ...Manmarziyaan gets a thumbs up. The storytelling deserves a big thumbs down though.... full review

Thumbs down, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...Which is what one can say about the film. You want to shake these lovers and ask them to make up their mind, quick. You enjoy the initial exhilaration born out of breathless passion as the winsome boy and girl engage in the age-old dance of desire. And then they become exhausting. As does the film.... full review

Thumbs down, by Namrata Joshi, The Hindu : ...Ironically, it's then that Manmarziyaan is at its most persuasive; in the last, long, lovely conversation leading up to a conventional, didn’t we see it coming closure.... full review

Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.

2 readers - 0 yays 1 so-so 1 nays

So-So, by Suman

Nay! Thumbs Down, by Bankim Chandra Pandey : In the background of Colorful Amritsar, Rumi (Taspe Pannu) and Vicky (Vicky Kaushal) are involved in

This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: None
  • Language: Lots of abusive language
  • Nudity & Sexual content: Few scenes that imply sex. Lots of conversations about sex.
  • Concept: A love triangle
  • General Look and Feel: The streets of Amritsar, not as colourful as we think. The texture is a mix of forced quirky and supposedly intense love.

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction:
Story:
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Manmarziyaan - Cast, crew, links

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Running time:
135 minutes
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Comments (3)

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Manmarziyaan is the least violent Anurag Kashyap film till date. In this film, there is no group fighting, no fighting but this film dealt with another type of violence, such as emotional and verbal wound which is generally encountered by young people in real life. This film also shows the magic power of forgiveness.
http://www.bankimpandey.ooo/2018/09/manmarziyaan-honest-film-review.html

Suman Chakraborty!

Direction: 1.5
Story: 1
Lead Actors: 3.5
Character Artists: 2
Dialogues: 2
Screenplay: 1
Music Director: 4.5
Lyrics: 5

This is the best album by Amit Trivedi after DevD!! How can u give it only 3!! When u always give high ratings to Amit Trivedi mediocre albums!! So-so only for the songs!!

i liked the concept of the movie...
please check the link. of latest and Award winning film.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWS9Cc68EVk

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