Pati Patni Aur Woh 2 has a familiar feel: it’s filled with miscommunication, a barrage of lies, a never-ending series of misunderstandings and, of course, the classic Bollywood comedy formula of allowing one person’s bad decision to set off a chain reaction leading towards total madness. The film is helmed by Mudassar Aziz, who does not use this film to attempt to change or update the genre (and I think this may be the reason that some aspects of the film work). It is a situational comedy film that doesn’t take itself seriously and asks the audience to turn off their brains for 2 hours and just enjoy the lunacy.
Set in Prayagraj, the story revolves around Prajapati Pandey(Ayushmann Khurrana) a man whose seemingly sorted life slowly spirals out of control after a series of lies and misunderstandings involving multiple women and complicated relationships. What begins as harmless confusion soon turns into a full-blown comedy of errors as he finds himself making one poor decision after another. As a result of all his lies and miscommunication with the women in his life, his otherwise orderly life begins to spiral out of control. At first, the things that go wrong seem pretty mild, which then become major issues; eventually he finds himself in a total chaos.
The film is easy to predict, however, it finds entertainment through the pacing and energy from the performers.
Ayushmann Khurrana is clearly in his comfort zone here. He has played these kinds of small-town comedic characters before and brings his charm and charisma across to the cinema once again. He carries this film with ease and is able to make all of the weaker scenes in the movie easier to enjoy. What works best about his performance is that he never overplays the humour. His expressions, awkward reactions and timing feel natural instead of forced. While the screenplay gets loud or repetitive, Ayushmann has the talent to demonstrate enough grounding in the character for an audience to remain interested.
Among the female leads, Sara Ali Khan makes the biggest impression. Along with creating a lot of energy and spontaneity, every time she is on-screen, Sara seems to be having a great time; this shows through in her performance. The timing on her comedy has improved dramatically and she receives some of the funniest moments of the entire film.
Wamiqa Gabbi’s performance is confident and she fits into the film nicely. She gets emotional moments along with the comedy and handles both well. Her sincerity on screen makes her a very likeable character even among all the craziness going on around her.
Rakul Preet Singh is glamorous, charming and dependable as always. Even though her role could use some more depth than it was given, you can see in many scenes that she is very talented in her portrayal of this character because of her screen presence and also because of how well she works with her co-stars, especially her chemistry with them.
The supporting cast deserves special mention too. Every time Vijay Raaz and Tigmanshu Dhulia appear on screen they almost upstage everyone else. Their timing is perfect, and many of the jokes they’ve deliver will have you laughing out loud. Overall the supporting cast holds together the comedic flow of the movie, and in particular in the second half when the movie really starts to get crazy.
Director Mudassar Aziz has a clear understanding of what his target audience will be. His film does not try to have depth or social relevance; however, it only aims to entertain. At best, he is moderately successful in this respect. After the first act, there is an inconsistency in the quality of the writing. Some jokes work really well while others feel stretched. Some scenes drag on too long and could have benefited from tighter editing. Much of the humour becomes redundant because it follows the same patterns of confusion and miscommunication.
Musically the film maintains its high level of energy. The songs work well within the context of the film’s commercial nature and add to its overall enjoyable atmosphere. While none of the songs can be classified as “instant classics,” they serve their purpose in contributing positively to the film’s tone of having fun. The background music adds to the comedic chaos without detracting from the film’s enjoyment.
Overall, Pati Patni Aur Woh Do is a film that one can enjoy if they don’t take it too seriously. There are funny moments throughout the film, and it is mostly entertaining due to a cast that knows exactly how to portray the film’s tone. But, after the laughter and confusion, the story does not resonate or stay with you once the credits roll.
Still, if you’re looking for a light weekend entertainer filled with chaos, comedy and familiar Bollywood madness, this one does enough to keep you engaged.
Rating: 3/5
