TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS | Updates - Look back with Madhavan Pg33 - Page 3

Quirky, rustic and with a tough-girl attitude -Kangana Ranaut's latest sporty avatar has won a lot of hearts in DU, especially among the sportswomen. In the upcoming Tanu Weds Manu Returns, one of Kangana's character is Kumari Kusum, a sports quota student at Ramjas, who threatens guys following her (Madhavan and his sidekick) with a hockey stick and explains in fluent Haryanvi, 'Phone number main daun ko na.' There are very few films that have shown DU's sportswomen, so when Kangana plays the role, it's only natural for the trailer to have over 22 lakh views in just four days. Her look and mannerisms in the movie are already a hit and student sportswomen say they found it funny because they can relate to Kusum or have somebody on the team exactly like her.

Dhanushree Chahal, a first-year student at Ramjas, who is on the basketball team, says, "Kangana's got the tomboyish look and the cool-but-naive attitude just right. Athletes from areas like Haryana are a lot like that. Many of them won't share their number with anybody simply because they have strict instructions from their parents. Especially when we are new to DU and a boy comes and says something like what Madhavan says - 'You look like my wife' - an athlete has to show how tough she is, and it becomes very obvious ki nayi-nayi aayi hai."

Priyanka Priyadarshini, a first-year student at SRCC, who has represented her college in swimming tournaments, says, "Because Kangana plays a DU sportsperson and because the movie shows the SRCC sports complex, we have been talking about it a lot. A friend showed it to me after the sports committee meeting, and I found it pretty funny because I have met girls like that. The desi way of talking is not something I get to see as a swimmer, but the anti-social attitude is definitely very familiar. We are too overworked to have energy left for random boys and so many sportswomen just bluntly tell them, 'Dude, bilkul time nahin hai.'

Shivani Narwal, a first-year student at Ramjas, who is on the basketball team, adds, "I'm a Jaat girl from Haryana and although I don't talk the way Kusum does, I know many who do. The first response of most girls to a boy even remotely hitting on them in the Ramjas sports ground would be a big no, just like Kusum's."
Richa, a former Hansraj student, adds, "I had applied for admission through the sports quota but ultimately got through on merit basis. The trailer is hilarious. It shows the ready-to-bash-up-guys-but-still-sweet kind of sports quota girls. It took me back to my audition days."

Actor Jimmy Shergill, who is reprising his role in Tanu Weds Manu Returns, says his character of Raja has matured in the Aanand L Rai-directed sequel.

The 44-year-old actor said the movie will remain true to the spirit of the original 2011 sleeper hit that chronicled the rocky romance between a small town girl and an NRI doctor. "The director has smartly woven the plot into a completely different situation. Barring a couple of new characters, which have been introduced in the sequel, everything has started from where the first part ended. Some characters have matured while others have retained their original vibe," Jimmy told PTI in an interview.

"I am returning as Tanu's (Kangana Ranaut) ex-fiance Raja Awasthi. The character has matured and toned down by 5-6 years. He doesn't have to try to be convincing this time. Just one look at him suffices."

There is some essence of Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Lucknow in the movie, he added. It is Jimmy's third collaboration with Rai whom he considers one of his closest friends in the industry. "Aanand is one of the closest friends I have. It is always a pleasure working with him. He is one of the nicest human beings you will find in the industry," the actor said.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns is the second time Jimmy has acted in a sequel. Before that, the actor starred in Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns, which was a sequel of Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster. When asked how was his experience and comfort level with the current trend of sequels, the actor said, "Both Tanu Weds Manu and Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster did well at the box office and were liked by the audience. I was not surprised when their sequels were conceived as we knew that there was a seed for another story."

The actor's affinity towards directors like Anand L Rai, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Neeraj Pandey is well established as he has starred in many of their projects.

"There will always be a special bond between us as all the three made their directorial debut with me (Aanand L Rai's Strangers, Neeraj Pandey's A Wednesday and Tigmanshu Dhulia's Haasil)."

Jimmy is currently shooting for Punjabi film Shareek being directed by Navaniat Singh. It is scheduled to release in the latter half of this year. Besides, another Punjabi film Hero-Naam Yaad Rakhi is in the post production stage. The movie, being directed by Baljit Singh Deo, is scheduled to release by mid-2015.

Ever since its launch, the trailer of Tanu Weds Manu Returns has generated quite a buzz. Besides, it also gives the viewers a glimpse of the fun times this Kangana Ranaut - R Madhavan starrer has in store.

With the trailer garnering praise from all quarters, director Aanand L Rai gets nostalgic about the two central characters who are close to his heart. He says, "We've come a long way but for me, Tanu and Manu were never gone. Both Kangana and Maddy have evolved as actors and have returned to the franchise after six years. Also, as a director, I too wanted my characters to reflect that change and progression."

Post the success of Tanu Weds Manu in 2011, Madhavan focussed on his commitments down south, while Kangana enjoyed the most successful phase of her career and Aanand too scored at the box office with Raanjhanaa. Even then, the bond shared by the three remained the same.

Aanand adds, "I cannot imagine this film without Madhavan and Kangana. As the years have gone by, it was a natural progression for us to move with the times. The story starts where we left it; but the essence of the film, the characters and the emotions are the same."

Tanu Weds Manu Returns, produced by Eros International and Colour Yellow Productions, releases May 22.