Manmarziyaan starts with the tempestuous relationship between Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) and Vicky (Vicky Kaushal). She is a hockey player who helps in the family's small business in Amritsar, he is a deejay. Their sexual escapades are barely hidden from the elders in her family and since poore Amritsar ko pata hai about them, she is under pressure to marry him. Vicky loves Rumi but is not ready for that step. Furious at him, she agrees to an arranged marriage. Enter: London-based banker Robbie (Abhishek Bachchan). Vicky, however, refuses to exit the picture.

The seemingly conventional story of a love triangle gets original with its treatment and portrayal of love. With characters constantly oscillating between confusion and complex emotions, Manmarziyaan presents a new and updated look at romance and relationships. It’s unlike any Anurag Kashyap film you’ve seen before. Despite its strengths, this romantic drama might be, at times, a little too mature for the average audience.

Abhishek Bachchan is sweet as paavam-bechara Robbie, though a little dull. Vicky Kaushal nails the externals of his character with great pizzazz, but has little to chew on in terms of who the man really is. Taapsee Pannu too cracks the many moods of Rumi up to a point, but cannot rise above the tired, unimaginative characterisation. The climactic scene where Taapsee and Abhishek have a long exchange of dialogue is pure cinematic delight. The second half of the film picks up the drama and the pace, owing to the taut editing by Aarti Bajaj. 

Anurag Kashyap has adopted a restrained storytelling style where dialogue and emotions take centre stage. For its stomach-achingly comical conversations and the infectious verve of Amit Trivedi's music, Manmarziyaan gets a thumbs up. At times, the story might be a little too deep for millennials, but Manmarziyaan is one of the different romantic movies to come out of Bollywood after a long time.