A perfect example of what zero expectations can do to a movie- watching experience, this horror comedy is a welcome outing into Bollywood by Tamil director A L Vijay.
Krishna (Prabhu Deva) is a young, working-class Tamil man living in Mumbai, and who is in search of a "modern woman" whom he can court and consequently marry, with the forethought of conceiving children who would then be modern and fluent in English, too. However, his visit to his native place in Tamil Nadu crushes his dreams as he is forcibly married off to Devi (Tamannah), a guileless villager, who does not match any of Krishna's parameters, let alone the modernity. Back in Mumbai, the newly married couple rent an apartment without realizing that it was previously leased by an aspiring model named Ruby who later committed suicide. Krishna is the first to notice changes in his wife who now responds to addresses of not "Devi", but "Ruby"...
Comedy takes care of the first half as it effortlessly ushers the audience in, treating them with enough doses of slapstick, mostly delivered by Deva. The second half slightly takes a somber route, but is still funny, now supported by polished characters played by Sonu Sood and Murali Sharma. The narrative essentially takes time to establish itself between sequences as the story moves forward with good speed, eventually reaching a convincing climax. Moreover, there's no tried-and-tested ingredients here, but are largely made up of variations of what we have seen before in similar films. That makes the film more enjoyable and easy on the mind.
The film explores the theme of aspiring models looking for fame and who are then forced by their own conscience to kill themselves due to the inability to accept failure. "Tutak Tutak Tutiya", although light- hearted, raises an important point about young men and women and their suicidal tendencies. It shows us how it feels to miss out on life.
Deva is good with his acting and dancing chops, and so is Sood as the lover-boy celebrity. Tamannah could deliver as Ruby, but fails to convince as the mild-mannered Devi, shelling out dialogues like postcard stamps. Supporting cast is decent.
All in all, even though the starting few minutes are silly, the film begins to entertain as it moves forward. So, it is better to judge it when it comes on DVD. Or, if you are a fan of any of the actors, book that ticket now. Producer Sood, take a bow!
BOTTOM LINE: A L Vijay's "Tutak Tutak Tutiya" is an enjoyable presentation with a mix of thrills and comedy, best to be consumed with a partner. Ignore the obnoxious title and poster designs and buy tickets for that weekday show.
Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES
