Mannu Kya Karegga? A Warm, Messy, and Honest Slice of Growing Up

Director - SsanJay Tripaathy

Cast - Vyom, Saachi Bindra, Kumud Mishra, Vinay Pathak, Charu Shankar, Rajesh Kumar, Brijendra Kala

Writer - Saurabh Gupta, Radhika Malhotra

Duration 141.35 Minutes

Rating 4

Mannu Kya Karegga Review: Amidst of action thrillers and mega special effects laced movies, Mannu Kya Karegga is tells a humane tale, it is fun, breezy, GenZ, musical romantic coming-of-age romantic drama about growing up, finding love, discovering oneself and above all, trying to find that one purpose in life that propels you to great height. The warmth of this movie will take you by surprise and seduces you gently with its truthfulness. It is a perfect slice of growing up movie with every element working in the right measures.

Helmed by SsanJay Tripaathy and produced by Sharad Verma, the film kicks off in Dehradun, we are introduced to team captain Manav "Mannu" Chaturvedi (Vyom), who scores a winning goal. Mannu is loveable and relatable, he loves doing everything, from drama, coding, hustle, literature, you name it, and he got it. He is an overachiever with no direction. Everyone is fond of him. He's gifted, he's suave. But he's trapped within his own self, he has no clue what he really wants to do with his life.

Next is Jiya Rastogi (Saachi Bindra), a focused and motivated transfer student from Delhi University. She has aspiration to study further at Stanford or Harvard, and she does not mess around. And then, these two stark opposite induvial crosses paths, of course in a very traditional rom-com fashion, and the chemistry is instant. But more intriguing than their love story is the way Jiya's certainty forces Mannu to face his own ambiguity. That's where the story truly gets its heart.

The best thing about their chemistry, Mannu has no direction, but Jiya, who is motivated, also has her fair share of domestic troubles, which shaped her intellect. And there is real kicker in the first half, despite being clueless about his life, Mannu unintentionally helps Jiya find her purpose in life, love for climate change.

Both make plans to settle overseas for higher studies and better future, and this is where the plot thickens, though smitten by Jiya, Mannu cannot help himself, and one fine day, in a bid to save their relationship, Mannu makes-up a live, which is completely out of his depth. He fabricates a start-up named "Nothing."

What starts as a dodge to bid time, soon gets out of hand and turns into an epic disaster, and everyone involved gets hurt, including Mannu, Jiya, their parents and friends. Especially Mannu, he hits the rock-bottom hard. And this is where his quirky professor Don (played with complete brilliance by Vinay Pathak) steps in as the improbable mentor who guides him towards the Japanese concept of Ikigai purpose.

The film works because it maintains its authenticity, and never for once tries formulaic tropes, doesn't venture into melodrama or heavy emotional outbursts. It allows its characters to breath, build themselves, so that the emotional arc doesn't feel like pushed but organic. And the music is a big help, it's the beating heart of the movie, it deserves special extra credit. There are nine tracks that do not feel like fillers but emotional markers. Songs like Humnawa and Fanaa Hua are not only infectious, but also emotional, they blend so well into the narrative and enhance its emotions.

Performance wise, Vyom and Sacchi are making their debut with this movie, but both delivers heartfelt, and honest performance, and deserves massive applaud. The sheer audacity of the newbie to turn their flaws into performance packed with nuance and relatable is outstanding.

Veteran actors Kumud Mishra and Charu Shankar as Mannu's parents provide heart and heft to the tale without ever crossing over into mawkishness. And Vinay Pathak, in the role of Don, is captivating equally funny, quirky, and wise, he provides the film with some of its best moments. A special shout out of Brijendar Kala for the agony uncle.

The story is penned by Saurabh Gupta and Radhika Malhotra, and it is refreshingly rooted and earthy. Rather than opting for heavy handed emotions, and long speeches, it excels at the small things, an act of silence, a college canteen chat, a sigh from a parent.

The film is visually stunning. The cinematography elegantly captures Dehradun's old-world charm in a manner that makes you yearn for more innocent, simpler times.

Mannu Kya Karegga, which is made by Curious Eyes Films, ends up being both a love story and a coming-of-age saga. It does have its campus goofiness and love spark, but beneath is a soft reminder that the most challenging and most fulfilling journey is just discovering who you are.