Bolly Tolly News, Kolkata 16th Setember 2018 : In a scene from Manmarziyaan, when a spunky Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) insists with her blue-haired wannabe DJ boyfriend Vicky (Vicky Kaushal) to marry out of the blue, he asks her when in the past have they even discussed marriage. After all, it is not just her decision to make, it's his too. Later, when Robbie (Abhishek Bachchan)'s friends ask him why he wants to marry a girl with someone else, he replies he wants to give her an option. Well, Manmarziyaan is a love triangle that depends on the consequences of these impulsive, even imperfect decisions. Directed by Anurag Kashyap, Manmarziyaan is pretty complicated story told through the many ballads of Rumi, Vicky and Robbie.
Rumi has been in love with a care-free Vicky, who loves her back with equal passion, and jumps from rooftops to rooftops to spend some intimate moments with her. Their dalliances, while known to the entire mohalla, is caught by Rumi's family who tells her to get married. When she insists that she will only get married to Vicky, they reluctantly agree. However, Vicky, who has run away from responsibilities all his life, gets cold feet at the idea of marriage, even though he insists that he still loves her. An angry Rumi tells her family that she is ready for an arranged marriage alliance.
Enters Robbie, a soft-spoken UK-returned banker, who is swayed away by just a picture of Rumi. Rumi, however, is still in two minds about whether to go ahead with her marriage to a good-hearted Rumi or be with a frisky, non-commital Vicky. And when Vicky gets cold feet again for the umpteenth time, Rumi gets married to Robbie. But how hard is it to love a new man when you can't get over your old flame? What happens your marriage is done out of spite rather than love?
Forgive me for a little sexist touch here, but there is a general perception that girls look for carefree daredevils when it comes to flings, and serious, responsible men for life-partners. Manmarziyaan plays with this idea with Vicky and Robbie filling each spectrum. And Rumi shuttles between the two, as and when her mind and whims sway.
The premise may be old - we have seen such ideas explored in films like Woh Saat Din, Bewafaa, Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. But while the other movies gave impetus to the canvas, emotions and the circumstances, Manmarziyaan is more character-driven.
Instead of letting the situations or the supporting characters drive the plot, here it is the decisions taken by the main characters that define their journey. That gives the done-to-death love triangle a refreshing Punjabi tadka. Like for example, while Rumi's family asks her to get married, they do not force her or beat her, instead, let her take the decisions while reluctantly adjusting with her whimsical dilly-dallying.
This actually proves to be a double-edged sword for the film when it comes to acceptance from the audience. It all depends on how well you like the impulsiveness of these characters, especially Rumi. For this is her movie, and most of the events in the film are swung by her decisions. Just ask yourself, would you relate to the leads in Shudhh Desi Romance? Well, Manmarziyaan's characters are nearly like that, only better written.
I, especially, loved how the characters of Vicky and Rumi were written. Imbibing the spunkiness and swag of Punjab, these two get to you instantly. Vicky is those dudes you have seen in Amritsar, obsessed with Honey Singh, booze and six-packs and wanting to make a career in music. He may be averse to marriage but don't want anyone to claim the woman he loves.
Rumi is not the conventional female lead you see in Bollywood; she is driven by her passions, impulses and desires. She is a well-written character, who is not white. She knows her imperfections and she revels in it. It is she who has the joystick in her hand when it comes to her love life (even though the results are not always in her favour), even when it comes to lovemaking. For Rumi, it's her own life that has more priority than her family's prestige. She even tells her aunt, "Sharm ke naam mein zindagi Na barbad karoon main!'
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