How do you begin to describe a movie which has the same old Bollywood junior artist story, but is cringe to the point you feel like shutting down your laptop? Tiku Weds Sheru, directed by Sai Kabir, promised to go deep into the scummy underbelly of the Mumbai film industry. But sadly, as the credits roll, you find yourself regretting the 2 hours spent while also wondering why Nawaz said yes to this in the first place. With a scattered plot, lackluster chemistry missed satire opportunities, and emotionless performances, it’s safe to say this film missed its mark by a huge margin.
The first half hour of the movie is a string of random anecdotes just stuck together to somehow form a base. What’s funny is, those 30 minutes don’t even matter in the context of the movie. Nawaz feels like a video game character completing random tasks so that we can finally get into the main part of the game. The story, which starts off as Sheru’s journey to fame, switches sides to Tiku’s struggles and her journey to overcome them all. The inconsistent plot goes idhar chala main udhar chala, lacking focus and coherence. It becomes evident that the film is a disjointed mixture of various story elements, resulting in a lack of clarity and direction.
The audience fails to connect to the story, all thanks to shallow characterization and unconvincing relationships
Movie kaisi bhi ho, if the characters don’t have depth and their relationship feels faker than your class 7 love, toh how will people connect to it? Nawazuddin Siddiqui‘s portrayal of Sheru, a junior artist who is also a pimp, is decent, but way too below his caliber. His dialogues are a mixed bag, some making you chuckle while others just leaving you cringing hard. Laut aao purane Nawaz bhai, ab mazaak nahi hai ye. Similarly, Avneet Kaur‘s Tiku, an aspiring actor seeking fame, lacks depth and her relationship with Sheru feels forced and uncomfortable, making for an unsettling watch.
Probably the only silver lining about the movie is during the moments when we see Avneet Kaur’s potential. Even though her performance in this movie is a hit and a miss, she does show promising talent in some tense scenes in the second half. Those are probably the only times you feel connected to the movie, which otherwise offers nothing for you to feel.
Underexplored themes, inconsistent plot, and failed emotional impact make this movie a tiring watch
The movie attempts to address significant issues prevalent in the film industry, including misogyny, patriarchy, domestic violence, and exploitation. However, it feels like the makers were doing formalities as they barely scratch the surface of these complexities. What’s worse is, for a film that deals with such sensitive topics, it hardly manages to extract emotions from the audience. Crucial scenes depicting domestic violence, dowry, and misogyny are passed on as light-hearted moments meant to induce laughter. The thing which makes dark satires stand out is- tense scenes mein you feel terrible, and funny scenes mein you laugh out loud. This movie gets neither aspect right.
The makers’ sorry attempt at dark satire feels like a massive opportunity wasted
The movie completely misses the potential for sharp and edgy dark satire, considering the film’s subject matter. While it discusses how women are exploited in the name of Bollywood, the execution falls short of delivering the hard-hitting chokeslam expected from a film produced by Kangana Ranaut. But the film really crosses its limits in the climax. Ending the movie with a dance number with Nawaz dressed up as a woman? But, the bizarre third act does sum up the entire movie– extremely nonsensical and disappointing.
Tiku Weds Sheru is a disaster trying to offer a compelling exploration of the dark underbelly of the Mumbai film industry. Despite the potential for a sharp and edgy satire, the film lacks depth and coherence, resulting in a missed opportunity to shed light on significant issues prevalent in the industry. The movie has characters that you don’t feel for, a story that does not hook you ever, and a visibly half-hearted attempt from the makers. Forgettable to say the least, avoid watching the movie even if you have nothing better to do.
