 "Mannu Kya Karegga? movie review: Vyom & Saachi Bindra starrer is delightful, heartfelt and relatable")
Director: SsanJay Tripaathy
Cast: Vyom, Saachi Bindra, Kumud Mishra, Vinay Pathak, Charu Shankar, Rajesh Kumar, Brijendra Kala
There are films that roar, demanding attention with scale and spectacle. And then there are films like Mannu Kya Karegga? — soft-spoken, funny, and unexpectedly moving — that simply sit beside you and remind you how confusing, messy, and wonderful youth can be. Directed with quiet assurance by SsanJay Tripaathy, this slice-of-life drama, produced by Sharad Mehra, swaps drama for depth and spectacle for soul. It’s not about dramatic confrontations or high-stakes suspense — it’s about the small, meaningful detours we take on the way to becoming ourselves.
Set against the tranquil beauty of Dehradun, the film follows Manav “Mannu” Chaturvedi (Vyom), a college all-rounder who’s good at everything except knowing what he actually wants. Bright, restless, and effortlessly likeable, Mannu is the kind of guy who fits in everywhere but still feels a little lost. That begins to change when Jiya Rastogi (Saachi Bindra) arrives — focused, clear-headed, and determined to make it to Stanford. She is Mannu’s opposite in the best way: grounded, driven, and unafraid of her ambitions. Their chemistry is natural, but it’s the friction between her clarity and his chaos that kicks off Mannu’s deeper journey into self-awareness.
The beauty of Mannu Kya Karegga? lies in its attention to life’s quiet turning points — the long walks under a starry sky, a conversation that stays with you longer than expected, a parent’s worried silence. The film doesn’t rush. It listens. And in doing so, it lets emotion build naturally. The music helps carry that emotion beautifully — with nine original tracks that feel like an emotional roadmap. Songs like Humnawa and Fanaa Hua don’t just accompany the scenes; they give them resonance. The soundtrack, far from ornamental, pulses like a heartbeat underneath every key moment.
In a misguided bid to impress Jiya, Mannu invents a fictional start-up, hilariously called “Nothing” — an app meant to sync people’s schedules for doing, quite literally, nothing. What starts as a harmless white lie spirals into a full-blown fabrication: fake team, fake workspace, fake growth charts. Eventually, the truth implodes — leaving Mannu to face the emotional fallout with Jiya, his disappointed parents, and himself. At his lowest, Mannu encounters his unlikely mentor: Don (Vinay Pathak, in a perfectly offbeat performance), a quirky professor who introduces him to Ikigai — the Japanese philosophy of finding one’s purpose.
There’s a gentle Wake Up Sid-like vibe to the way the film handles coming-of-age without overplaying the drama. Vyom brings a vulnerable authenticity to Mannu that makes even his worst decisions feel understandable. Saachi Bindra, as Jiya, is composed and compelling — more than just a goal-chasing student, she’s layered with depth and quiet empathy. Kumud Mishra and Charu Shankar are well cast as Mannu’s parents, torn between love and frustration. And Vinay Pathak’s Don is unforgettable — oddball, insightful, and sneakily profound. The supporting cast, including Brijendra Kala and Rajesh Kumar, adds texture and realism to the campus world.
Writers Saurabh Gupta and Radhika Malhotra keep the script light on melodrama, opting instead for a naturalistic rhythm that mirrors real life. Scenes are allowed to linger; emotions aren’t spoon-fed. The cinematography captures Dehradun with a sense of nostalgia and ease — the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to go back to your own college days, however chaotic they were. The entire film is technically modest, but emotionally rich — a thoughtful blend of humour, introspection, and unpolished charm.
Created with care under the Curious Eyes Films banner, Mannu Kya Karegga? is more than just another college story. Yes, there’s love, laughter, and even a little heartbreak, but at its heart, it’s a film about embracing who you really are — even if that version is still under construction. The newcomers in the cast bring raw, unfiltered energy, grounding the film in lived experience rather than glossy fiction.
And in the end, Mannu does what most of us struggle to do: he drops the performance and listens to the silence within. His journey isn’t about changing the world — it’s about tuning into himself. In a world obsessed with hustle, identity, and big achievements, this film gently reminds us that sometimes, starting with “nothing” is the most honest place to begin. And finding your rhythm — even if it’s offbeat — might just be the most important thing you ever do.
Rating: 3.5 (out of 5 stars)
Mannu Kya Karegga? will release on 12th September
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