Manmarziyaan, released internationally as ‘Husband Material’, is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama directed by Anurag Kashyap and written by Kanika Dhillon. Starring Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal, the film is jointly produced by Phantom Films and Aanand L. Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions.
‘Manmarziyaan’ began filming in February 2018. It is a love story set in Amritsar, Punjab, India. Principal photography wrapped up in April 2018. It premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in India on 14 September 2018 to positive reviews from critics. A trailer was released on 9 August 2018.
‘Manmarziyan’ is a story of a quirky love triangle. The movie has got extremely positive reviews from the critics. All the three lead actors’ performances were immensely praised. Also, Anurag’s direction is getting a special mention. ‘Manmarziyan’ is filled with humour, romance, emotions and a lovely story-line. The film has been getting all round applause.
Production
The project was originally to be directed by Sameer Sharma, who had shot some portions of the film, but producer Aanand L. Rai was not happy with the rough cut and stopped the shooting. He then approached Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari to direct it, but she could not do it because of her “prior commitments”. In November 2016, it was announced that Anurag Kashyap will now be directing ‘Manmarziyaan’ written by Kanika Dhillon. Initially, it was reported by the media that Dulquer Salmaan, Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar were cast in the film, but they dropped out of the film. Abhishek Bachchan was then brought in as a replacement for Dulquer Salmaan. Abhishek Bachchan and Anurag Kashyap had differences in the past; one of the reasons being Kashyap’s criticism of Bachchan’s ‘Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey’ (2010). They had, however, resolved their differences and were excited to work together again when the opportunity arose. The movie marked Bachchan’s return to acting after a 2-year hiatus. The film was shot in Punjab, while some portions were shot in Delhi and Kashmir.
Reception
‘Manmarziyaan’ received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for its contemporary take on a love story and the overall strong performances of its cast. It also received high praise for seamlessly weaving its soundtrack into the story. Taapsee Pannu received universal critical acclaim for her performance as the mercurial Rumi. As a love-triangle with a running length of 155 minutes, the subject matter was a venture into conventional Bollywood territory for director Anurag Kashyap.
Critic Anupama Chopra noted “director Anurag Kashyap, Hindi cinema’s high-priest of darkness, turns his ferocious gaze on relationships. Obviously then, this is not the routine Bollywood meet-cute. Director Kashyap and writer Kanika Dhillon have created a fully realized world that is fueled by Amit Trivedi’s pulsating soundtrack” ‘Times Of India’s’ critic Rachit Gupta said “The maturity with which Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Manmarziyaan’ talks about love and relationships is refreshing. The seemingly conventional story of a love triangle, gets original with its treatment and portrayal of love. With characters constantly oscillating between confusion and complex emotions, ‘Manmarziyaan’ presents a new and updated look at romance and relationships.”
Raja Sen, writing for ‘Hindustan Times’, critiqued the film saying “There is authenticity to the texture, but this film could have held more. It is ultimately a disappointment not because of its craft, but because of predictability, self-indulgent pace and its irritating attempt to be both a light crowd-pleaser with a cutesy ending as well as an impassioned, volatile romance.” Filmfare critic Debesh Sharma adds “Shot well by Sylvester Fonseca and edited well by Aarti Bajaj, the film scores on technical fronts as well.”
The movie received a limited international release with the title “Husband Material” including a premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2018.
‘The 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. (4/5)
NDTV: There is much to love in ‘Marmarziyaan’. Taapsee Pannu makes it consistently watchable and Anurag Kashyap’s directorial flourishes lend the film a veneer of intelligence. ‘Manmarziyaan’, laced with humour and warmth, is a love story with flashes - only flashes, not a sustained flow - of inspiration. (3/5)
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. (3/5)
DNA: For the eternal die-hard romantics, ‘Manmarziyaan’ is that tale which encourages you to dream on, no matter what. Go for it with that special someone. (3.5/5)
‘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. (3.5/5)
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. (3.5/5)
