Pati Patni Aur Woh Do

Mudassar Aziz's story has all the trappings of a typical comic caper. Ravi Kumar and Mudassar Aziz's screenplay is peppered with several maddening moments that keep the interest going. However, the writing also has some loose ends. Mudassar Aziz's dialogues work but only in parts. Mudassar Aziz's direction is commercial. In PATI PATNI AUR WOH [2019], the protagonist was stuck between two women. In the second part, the protagonist is trapped between his wife and two ‘girlfriends’. This is a film consisting of madcap characters and loads of misunderstandings. Yet, the film never gets confusing. The way Prajapati lands in a spot and the way the misunderstandings crop up make for an amusing watch. A few supporting characters, like the bua (Ayesha Raza), seem unwanted at first, but they add to the madness nicely.

By this point, the film resembles one of those WhatsApp family groups where everyone is typing at once and nobody is reading properly. The intention clearly is to create a modern Hindi heartland farce, part marriage comedy, part ensemble confusion caper and part commentary on relationships in small-town India. That is a fairly ambitious balancing act. The problem is that the screenplay approaches every possible direction with the enthusiasm of a man trying every sample at a buffet and then wondering why his stomach hurts. The narrative keeps lurching from emotional drama to noisy comedy to romantic misunderstanding without ever settling into a rhythm. One scene aims for satire, the next for chaos, and the one after that appears to exist purely because someone remembered there was a music contract to fulfil.

Despite its promising premise and capable performers, Pati Patni Aur Woh Do gets too tangled in its own confusion to deliver consistent laughs. The film has a weak script and feels dated, with too many characters and situations worsening an already bizarre setup.

This film simply would not have landed had the cast not been this good. Ayushmann Khurrana gets the pitch of Mudassar’s comedy perfectly, and half the time, it’s his expressions alone that draw a chuckle from the viewer. Rakul Preet Singh gets room to experiment here, and fits into this quirky world. Wamiqa Gabbi proves that she has a flair for comedy, while also sharing believable chemistry with Ayushmann. Sara Ali Khan holds her own and delivers a confident performance.

Shouting out the dialogue doesn't make it funnier. Nor does slathering loud music in the background. What Aziz and co-writer Ravi Kumar do manage in Pati Patni Aur Woh Do is to smuggle in the occasional barb at prejudice and pettiness.

By keeping the protagonist innocent and merely a victim of circumstances, the film dilutes its own conflict, resulting in a safe, ultimately forgettable comedy.

But why oh why does all of it have to be delivered in a near constant high-pitch? Why do the songs need to put all three women around Prajapati in different states of ridiculous undress? And why clothe it all in a modernity that can conceive women in jobs, women in open relationships, women in literally the driver’s seat, but not women who actually get a choice that doesn’t revolve around a man?

So what prevents Pati Patni Aur Woh Do from becoming a full-blown entertainer? For starters, there is a severe shortage of genuinely funny one-liners and you have to make do with the actors' comic capabilities to liven things up. The screenplay also lacks the sharpness needed for situational comedy to consistently land. At times, the writing ties itself into knots simply to manufacture misunderstandings. The pre-interval stretch involving Prajapati, Chanchal, Nilofer and Aparna ending up at the same half-constructed building pushes the gag far beyond breaking point. It makes little sense for a character to climb atop a building in the middle of a city merely to get mobile network reception. One wonders what exactly that says about Benaras' connectivity.