The promo said it all, and the fact that the film is a remake of the 70s namesake film starring Sanjeev Kumar, Vidya Sinha and Ranjeeta meant that there was a clear idea around how would this Mudassar Aziz directed light hearted entertainer unfold. While there is a clear idea around the core storyline of the film, it’s the narrative and the treatment that holds the key here. This is what makes Pati Patni aur Woh special as the storytelling stays breezy throughout and there are several points in the film where you are surrounded by heaps of laughter inducing moments.
As Chintu Tyagi, Kartik Aaryan is the soul of the film. There is hardly any scene which doesn’t feature him and the young actor makes the best use of the opportunity meted out to him where he makes the film his own. He has multiple looks in the film and he ensures that he nails the characterisation each time around. Be it his early days of marriage or later when he gets bored or furthermore when he changes his persona in company of the new found attention, Kartik keeps his audiences engaged with his antics.
Moreover, it is a mature act by him which turns out to be the highlight of the film. He is neither a philanderer nor an opportunistic. Of course there are negative shades to his character since he plain and simple lies to another young woman (Ananya Pandey) about his wife Bhumi Pednekar’s (non existent) affair. Still, the character played by him never crossed a line and while that could well have become caricaturish, Kartik ensures that it neither gets into that zone nor borderlines on anything below the belt.
This is what makes the film exciting because despite the topic of an extra marital affair, it turns out to be a family film with several fun moments interspersed into the narrative. A major contribution for that comes from Aparshakti Khurana who gets yet another meaty part to play in a film. As Kartik’s friend, he is a bundle of energy and his unique dialogue delivery as well as straight face humour ensures that audiences are entertained thoroughly.
This is what makes the interval point of the film truly howlarious as well, and even post that the film doesn’t drag at all. Both Bhumi and Ananya have meaty parts to play as well
and they do quite well. Bhumi has been enjoying the time of her life, what with Bala as her last major superhit just a few weeks back. Also, she has looked most beautiful till date in this film. On the other hand Ananya is a revelation. She was pretty much a kid in Student of the Year 2 but out here as a young woman with a mind of her own, she holds her own and announces loud and clear that there is an inherent talent in her that is waiting to be explored.
As for the audiences, there is a lot to be explored as well in Pati Patni aur Woh which turns out to be a film that is beyond just a regular comic-drama entertainer and instead has a good mix of dramatic elements as well which makes it a well rounded affair.
Go for it!