'Pati Patni Aur...' review: Ayushmann can't save unfunny, loud comedy
What's the story
Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, the third part in the comedy franchise after BR Chopra's 1978 film and Mudassar Aziz's 2019 comedy, hit cinemas on Friday. Directed by Aziz, it's led by Ayushmann Khurrana, Wamiqa Gabbi, Sara Ali Khan, and Rakul Preet Singh. Loud, unfunny, and shockingly offensive, the film is a tiring, bloated mess that's difficult to sit through.
Plot
Prajapati is stuck with three women in the film
The comedy follows Prajapati (Khurrana), a forest department official, who's married to Aparna (Gabbi), a journalist. Singh plays Neelofar, his colleague. Trouble ensues in Prajapati-Aparna's paradise when Prajapati's friend, Chanchal (Khan), who's hiding from her boyfriend's father, asks him to pretend to be his partner. A string of confusion begins, and Aparna gets suspicious of Prajapati's relationship with both Chanchal and Neelofar.
#1
Khurrana stars in yet another scattershot drama
Khurrana has a delightful presence, but even he can't save this worn-out character. The small-town boy schtick is past its expiry date, and such a role would perhaps have worked five years ago. The premise is rich with potential, but the execution falters. Early jokes about Sunny Leone and Prajapati's in-laws set the tone for the poor comedy, and the film gets progressively worse.
#2
Not one believable character in this comedy-drama
Thanks to its homophobia, classist jokes, and several caricatures, the film keeps stumbling. Aziz mistakes sleazy, outdated gags for comedy, resulting in this wreck of a film. After a point, everything feels so chaotic that you want the director to rein it in. Aziz, whose comedic finesse flourished in Happy Bhag Jayegi and Khel Khel Mein, sadly keeps going in circles here.
#3
Its homophobic jokes will make you uncomfortable
At a time when Indian cinema is trying to change with progressive stories like Cactus Pears and Badhaai Do, Pati Patni... wants to pedal to the past. From using a caricaturish, effeminate character to evoke laughs to a tiring, homophobic sub-plot, it doesn't know where to draw the line. The climactic monologue somehow tries to fix this mistake, but by then, it's too late.
#4
Supporting cast performs well, but nothing too memorable
Aziz is afraid to leave you with your thoughts and uses a "funny" background score extensively. What if you forget to laugh? Coming to the supporting ensemble, the film brims with dependable performers, including Vijay Raaz, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Deepika Amin, and Tigmanshu Dhulia. They do justice to their respective parts, though Raza Mishra's character is a bit too overwritten.
Verdict
Can skip this comedy with no laughs; 2/5 stars
Gabbi and Khan (at least they get meaty roles) lend Khurrana able support, while Singh is mostly relegated to the background. At 117 minutes, the comedy is fast-paced, but feels longer because of the ludicrousness on display. The occasionally funny one-liners might work for some, but other than that, Pati Patni Aur Woh Do doesn't offer anything you haven't watched before. 2/5 stars.