'Never legitimized infidelity,' says 'Pati Patni Aur Woh Do' director
What's the story
The upcoming film Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh, and Wamiqa Gabbi, has been facing allegations of promoting infidelity. The movie's plot revolves around Khurrana's married character finding himself in trouble with two other women. Recently, director Mudassar Aziz addressed these concerns by stating that his films never portray women as passive recipients of male behavior.
Director's response
Aziz feels misunderstood by the allegations
In an interview with Mid-Day, Aziz defended his film by saying, "This is my seventh film. Never before have I made a film that legitimizes infidelity." He also expressed feeling misunderstood when such allegations arise. "Both Ayushmann and I have a history of doing films that don't approach gender politics in a skewed way," he added.
Female representation
'Women in my films have always had agency'
Aziz further elaborated on the representation of women in his films. He cited examples from Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019) and Happy Bhag Jayegi (2016). "In 'Pati Patni Aur Woh' [2019], the husband is faced with the consequences of his actions when his wife and girlfriend join forces," he said. "In 'Happy Bhag Jayegi' [2016], I created a protagonist who chooses her partner. Women in my films have always had agency. They are never passive recipients of male behavior."
Casting process
Aziz reveals how Khurrana got on board
Aziz also shared that it took some time to convince Khurrana to join the project. They went through three rounds of narrations before the actor was fully on board. "After the first time, Ayushmann said he wanted to hear it again. Before the third narration was over, he was having so much fun that he said, 'Let's do it,'" he added. The film is a sequel to the 2019 film Pati Patni Aur Woh and will release on May 15.