Avneeth Kaur’s confident debut and Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s earnestness aren’t enough to salvage this wreck of a film.
A complete dud!
Tiku Weds Sheru (Hindi)
- Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Avneet Kaur
- Direction: Sai Kabir
- Producers: Kangana Ranaut
- Music: Gaurav Chatterji
- Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes
- OTT platform: Amazon Prime
There have been several films set against the backdrop of the film industry and Tiku Weds Sheru is one such.
For example, Shyam Benegal’s Bhumika (1977) was based on a well-known Marathi stage and screen actress of the 1940s. Even before that, Guru Dutt’s Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) explored the turbulent life of a famous filmmaker.
If we talk about recent times, Zoya Akhtar showed the journey of two aspiring actors who arrive in Mumbai to become big stars in Luck By Chance (2009). Though the film didn’t make a lot of money, it was critically appreciated and won the best debut director award for Zoya.
This year, you had the web series Jubliee (2023), directed by Vikramaditya Motwane. It was about the film industry of the 1940-50s through five major characters. It turned out to be a major hit on Amazon Prime.
Sai Kabir’s Tiku Weds Sheru majorly takes inspiration from two films — Luck By Chance Kangana Ranaut’s Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015). Even the title resembles it.
Director Sai Kabir tries to address many pertinent issues like misogyny and patriarchy here, but his direction lacks the required clarity. Tiku Weds Sheru neither works as a romantic drama nor as a story of two underdogs.
Shiraz Afghani aka Sheru (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), is one of the many countless junior artists slogging it out in the film industry. Apart from being a junior artist, he works secretly as a pimp too.
Synopsis
Tiku (Avneeth Kaur) is a fierce girl from Bhopal. She has a good flair for poetry. Tiku aims to escape from her misogynistic family and become a superstar in Bollywood.
Her ticket to Bollywood comes in the form of Sheru who pretends to be a film financer. The duo gets married.
He uses the dowry money to repay a loan shark. Sheru doesn’t know that Tiku has already got a boyfriend and is using him as a gateway to reunite with him. This boyfriend promises to make her a superstar.
But eventually, he dumps her as expected. The rest of the story is about how Tiku and Sheru navigate their personal lives, and also the world of showbiz.
The only positive aspect
The only positive aspect of Tiku Weds Sheru is the performances of the individual actors.
Avneeth Kaur, in particular, sparkles as the girl who aspires to be a superstar. She shines equally in both the dramatic and comic bits. With a much better script, this girl can go a long way.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui brings certain earnestness to his part, as he does in most of his films. His performance here is no Manto (2018). Nevertheless, he is sincere.
But at the same time, Nawazuddin looks completely out of place in the dancing portions.
Fails to do justice
But as a pair, there is a complete lack of chemistry between the leads. It is not just about the hugely significant age gap. But there is a general awkwardness in the romantic scenes which only adds to the woes of the film.
The biggest issue with Tiku Weds Sheru is that it does not do justice to any of the themes handled.
The issues of the plight of the junior artists and the casting couch are very pertinent, but director Sai Kabir makes a mockery with his inept direction.
The supporting characters are another big joke. All of them are one-note characters. As a result, none of them leaves an impact.
Kangana’s cameo also comes out of nowhere. It is a part that could have been easily deleted
Verdict
Tiku Weds Sheru is the first venture for Kangana as a producer and the third film for Sai Kabir. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a complete dud. Hope they come up with better and more original stories in future.
(Views expressed here are personal.)
