Tanu Weds Manu is an Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film franchise directed by Aanand L. Rai and written by Himanshu Sharma. The series follows the turbulent romance and marriage between Tanuja "Tanu" Trivedi, a free-spirited young woman from Kanpur, and Manoj "Manu" Sharma, a soft-spoken NRI doctor based in London. The films are noted for their small-town North Indian milieu, ensemble supporting cast, and use of folk and regional Hindi dialects.
| Franchise | Tanu Weds Manu |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romantic comedy |
| Language | Hindi |
| Director | Aanand L. Rai |
| Writer | Himanshu Sharma |
| Lead actors | Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan |
| First film | Tanu Weds Manu (2011) |
| Latest film | Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015) |
| Number of films | 2 |
| Production | Colour Yellow Productions, Eros International |
The franchise was conceived by Aanand L. Rai as part of his broader cinematic interest in small-town Uttar Pradesh and the Hindi heartland. Writer Himanshu Sharma, who hails from Lucknow, drew on the cultural texture of cities such as Kanpur, Lucknow and Delhi for the screenplay. The films feature a recurring ensemble of supporting characters, including Pappi (Deepak Dobriyal), Jassi (Eijaz Khan), Payal (Swara Bhasker) and Raja Awasthi (Jimmy Sheirgill), whose continuity across the two films lends the series a sitcom-like familiarity.
Released on 25 February 2011, the first film introduced Manu, an NRI doctor returning to India for an arranged marriage, who falls for Tanu, a rebellious girl already in love with another man, Raja Awasthi. The film's narrative moves through Kanpur, Lucknow, Kapurthala and Delhi. It was produced by Shailesh R. Singh under Vinod Bachchan's banner and distributed by Eros International. The music was composed by Krsna Solo, with songs such as "Sadi Gali" (originally by Lehmber Hussainpuri) gaining wide popularity. The film was a commercial sleeper hit and helped re-establish Kangana Ranaut and R. Madhavan in mainstream Hindi cinema.
Released on 22 May 2015, the sequel picked up four years after the marriage, depicting the deterioration of Tanu and Manu's relationship and Manu's encounter with Datto, a Haryanvi athlete and Delhi University student who looks identical to Tanu. Kangana Ranaut played the double role of Tanu and Kusum "Datto" Sangwan, with Madhavan reprising Manu. The supporting cast included Jimmy Sheirgill, Deepak Dobriyal, Swara Bhasker, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Eijaz Khan. The film was produced by Krishika Lulla under Eros International and Aanand L. Rai's Colour Yellow Productions. It became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2015 and earned Kangana Ranaut the National Film Award for Best Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Krsna Solo returned as composer, with "Banno" emerging as a chart-topping wedding song.
The franchise is regarded as a key example of the resurgence of small-town romantic comedies in Hindi cinema during the 2010s, alongside other films from Aanand L. Rai such as Raanjhanaa. Both films were appreciated for their dialogue, regional flavour and performances, particularly Kangana Ranaut's portrayal of Tanu and Datto, and Deepak Dobriyal's comic turn as Pappi. Tanu Weds Manu Returns is frequently cited among the most commercially successful female-led Hindi films of its era.
For her performance in Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Kangana Ranaut won the National Film Award for Best Actress at the 63rd National Film Awards and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 2016. Himanshu Sharma won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue. The film also received nominations across multiple categories at the Screen, IIFA and Zee Cine Awards.
Aanand L. Rai and Himanshu Sharma have, in interviews following the second film, indicated openness to continuing the story, though no third film has been officially produced.