Pati Patni Aur Woh

wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list (?)

quick review:

When you are expecting the worst, the not-bad feels decent, and the possibly-bad gets the benefit of the doubt. That is the middle ground at which Pati Patni aur Woh manages to reach.

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Director: Muddassar Aziz
Running time: 125 minutes
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Can a man and a woman be friends? Can a married man be friends with an unmarried woman? Yes, right? Then why does he need to lie? That last question opens up a complex mix of explanations that include relationship dynamics, unsaid societal rules, contextual norms, individual personality traits, and nurture. Of course, if you are out to make a light film out of it while addressing the seriousness of the situation, you are walking a tight rope. Which, Pati Patni aur Woh manages to do. Even if it wobbles all along the way.

you wonder whether a prominent character was named so that it could be used for one particular religious-cum-political comment.

I have not seen B R Chopra’s Pati Patni Aur Woh, but I have seen Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Rang Birangi, which refers to the Chopra film. We could debate the ethics of relationships. As an impressionable teenager, the spice added to a relationship because of a lie didn’t seem too bad to me. As I remember, I did not like how easily Parveen Babi’s character forgives her husband back then either. In that sense, Muddassar Aziz’s Pati Patni Aur Woh makes a reasonable attempt at giving the women some agency.

The problematic part is it tries to make the erring middle-class man a helpless victim of his circumstances who is worthy of sympathy and even empathy. I do believe that if someone is lying in a relationship, it might also partly be because the other person has created an environment where truth cannot be told without disproportionate repercussions. Here, Vedica’s (Bhumi Pednekar) personality didn’t seem like she wouldn’t accept her husband, Abhinav (Kartik Aaryan), having a woman-friend (Tapasya, Ananya Pandey). And that is where the mix of explanations begin. Other than the fact that Tapasya makes him feel good about himself, the lie itself brings a spark to his relationship with her. Would that relationship bring him joy if his wife knew about it? We don’t know. Ergo, though I ‘get’ why any person and thus the middle-class man lies, he gets no sympathy.

The passing remarks about arranged-marriage vs. love-marriage and unwanted house guests sort-of go with the tone of the film. However, a similar comment on the police dealing with Muslims seems totally out of place in the movie. In retrospect, you wonder whether a prominent character was named so that it could be used for this comment.

Other than the philosophical and societal discussion, though, Pati Patni Aur Woh is more or less a breezy film with a few laughs and a rushed ending. Most of which come from Aparshakti Khurrana’s timing. Second in line with witticisms is Bhumi Pednekar, who does well, but the oomph added to her saris seem out of place. While Kartik Aaryan does not have any funny lines as such, he succeeds at emoting more than usual, and he gets his mini-monologue. Of course. Ananya Pandey plays the simple-yet-seductress bit well.

But none of them made the film better or worse than it was. It is just that kind of an overall package that would make for a not-entirely-intellectual-but-not-entirely-brainless easy watch.

- meeta, a part of the audience

38 reviewers(?) - 14 yays 19 so-so 5 nays

Warning: clicking on "full review" will take you to an external website that could contain spoilers.

Thumbs up, by Subhash K Jha, Bolly Spice : ...Perched dangerously on a windowsill at one point in the plot, Kartik’s Tyagi can be seen wondering what he is doing there. That is a feeling which this politically incorrect drama cannot avoid.... full review

Thumbs up, Bollywood Hungama : ...On the whole, PATI PATNI AUR WOH is a fun filled entertainer which is also quite progressive in many ways. At the box office, the strong buzz coupled with Kartik Aaryan's presence will ensure a healthy business at the box office window. Recommended!... full review

Thumbs up, Catch News : ...मुदस्सर अजीज की कसी हुई पटकथा के साथ साथ फिल्म की दो सबसे मजबूत कड़ी साबित होती है फिल्म की स्टारकास्ट और इसके संवाद. मुदस्सर अजीज ने पति पत्नी और वो से केवल सार उठाया है, जबकि इसके पूरी पठकथा खुद लिखी है. इसी के चलते ये कही भी पुरानी फिल्म की याद नहीं दिलाती है. निर्देशक ने चिंटू त्यागी की दुनिया को पूरी तरह से पर्दे पर उतारने में सफल साबित हुए है.... full review

Thumbs up, by Devesh Sharma, Filmfare : ...Kartik Aaryan is the king of monologues and gets two here. He's as charming and as affable as ever and his Everyman act is just what the doctor ordered. Aparshakti Khurana has the best lines. His motormouth act keeps the momentum going. Bhumi Pednekar delivers another sassy act. She seems to have become the torchbearer of women's emancipation. Ananya Panday makes a more confident stride in her second film than her first. It's a difficult role but she keeps it real. Let's reiterate here that all four actors have performed to the parameters defined by the director. No one comes out as a villain, vamp or victim and this in effect is the veritable cherry on the cake...... full review

Thumbs up, by Madhuri V, Filmi Beat : ...'Dheeme Dheeme' is a foot-tapping number which makes you want to hit the dance floor. The recreated version of Govinda-Raveena Tandon's 'Ankhiyon Se Goli Maare' which plays in the end credit, leaves you with a smile as you exit the theatres. 'Dilbara' is avoidable.... full review

Thumbs up, by Vishal Verma, Glamsham.com : ...PATI PATNI AUR WOH –remake of the legendary B.R. Chopra’s 1978 classic by Mudassar Aziz is illuminated right from beginning in its honesty and respect for the original. In sync with today’s time with a decisive edge coming from a surprise twist in character graph, this debate on the ‘who’ of woh’ finds solace in its pleasing humour wrapped in wining emotions and top-notch performance.... full review

Thumbs up, by Umesh Punwani, koimoi : ...All said and done, Pati Patni Aur Woh is a fun reboot of a classic. A treat for Kartik girl-fans & one can watch it while enjoying a pretty portion of Nachos. Light-hearted fun!... full review

Thumbs up, by Pankhurie Mulasi, Movie Talkies : ...The songs are hummable, cinematography is good and the screenplay is crisp. All in all it’s quite enjoyable and is a fitting tribute to the original.... full review

Thumbs up, by Rohit Vats, News18.com : ...At 126 minutes, Pati, Patni Aur Woh is an easy-breezy watch, provided you don’t take it as the final word on relationships. It’s really funny to see the chaos in Chintu Tyagi’s life. Don’t be judgmental though!... full review

Thumbs up, by Rajeev Masand, News18.com : ...I’m going with three out of five for Pati Patni aur Woh. In a very roundabout, over-simplistic way, the film is actually progressive. Thank you for small mercies. Plenty laughs are guaranteed.... full review

Thumbs up, by Vaibhavi V Risbood, Pinkvilla : ...Pati Patni Aur Woh is surely a must-watch for all fans of Kartik and Bollywood masala-film lovers. It offers a cinematic experience of a guilty pleasure banking on humour to say if men will be men, women are the weaker sex. If you don’t try to judge the film on the values and message for the society; enjoy it with popcorn and soda!... full review

Thumbs up, by Joginder Tuteja, Planet Bollywood : ...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.... full review

Thumbs up, by Amman Khurana, Times Now : ...Pati Patni Aur Woh has an easy-breezy first half. In the second half, though, the film takes the usual route and becomes a tad bit boring. But all in all, it is an enjoyable watch which you wouldn’t mind investing your time into.... full review

Thumbs up, by Harshada Rege, Times of India : ...If you are looking for some good entertainment this weekend, this one could be a delightful watch.... full review

So-So, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...In short, it isn’t a bad film but isn’t any superfine film either just like the last few similar movies released following the typical format. So if you easily get satisfied from just average films then the choice is all yours, otherwise I will recommend to watch it on the online portals soon and skip it in the theaters.... full review

So-So, by Russel D'silva, Bollywood Life : ...Pati Patni Aur Woh is a lighthearted, breezy affair that intermittently tickles your funny bone, but had the potential to be a real laugh riot. It's still a decent crowd pleaser and should especially appeal to the family audience and Kartik Aaryan fans. I'm going with 3 stars.... full review

So-So, by SUPARNA SHARMA, Deccan Chronicle : ...Mudassar Aziz is not a great director, but he is truly a fabulous dialogue writer. The banter between Chintu and Fahim, laced with insults and talk of old girlfriend Maya, is a riot and if they had just gone on and on, Fahim would have made a much better woh than the oh-so-shapely Pandey.... full review

So-So, by Deepa Gahlot, Deepa Gahlot : ...The three leads are adequate, but have their thunder stolen by the perfect comic timing of Khurrana, Shubham Kumar and Neeraj Sood as Vedika’s gluttonous uncle. The film is funny because Aziz’s lines are hilarious and delivered by the actors with panache. The matter of gender politics remains in a grey, politically incorrect zone.... full review

So-So, by UDITA JHUNJHUNWALA, FirstPost : ...In 2019, the men as seen in this movie, are still taking women for granted, and the women, who maybe independent-spirited, are still responsible for forgiving and forgetting.... full review

So-So, Free Press Journal : ..."Pati Patni Aur Woh" works well as a one-time watch. The reboot has its funny moments, and it works mainly for its cast.... full review

So-So, by Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Gulf News : ...Director Mudassar Aziz has put together a comedy that’s perfect for a one-time-watch. It isn’t life-altering, but makes for a pleasant watch.... full review

So-So, by Monika Rawal Kukreja, Hindustan Times : ...Pati Patni Aur Woh is funny, watchable and problematic at places, but who intends to learn a message or two from a film that trivializes an issue like infidelity and make it sound funny?... full review

So-So, by Sonal Gera, India TV : ...In 'Pati Patni Aur Woh', Mudassar Aziz had had a chance to carry his 'Happy Bhaag Jaayegi' streak a little forwad and dole out a genuine comic relief. He, instead, resorts to the most hackneyed idea of sexism and stereotypes, and presents a modern concoction of infidelity and life-lessons in the garb of "a modern take on relationships" -- it is so not.... full review

So-So, by R.M. Vijayakar, India West : ...Technically, the film is alright, but director Mudassar Aziz only handles the actors well, and fails to write a good base: a tight, credible and truly funny script. The music is nothing but mayhem and the background score no great shakes.... full review

So-So, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...Our ‘pati’ may have redeemed himself, and the ‘patni’ and ‘woh’ may have lifted the film somewhat, but to wish for good taste in a comedy dealing with straying husbands and wives-and-other-women-in-holding patterns is no laughing matter.... full review

So-So, Khaleej Times : ...Sunny Singh who makes a cameo as Vedika's ex boyfriend, Doga, is in fact more impactful and so is Kriti Sanon in a special appearance. Aparshakti Khurrana who plays the hero's sidekick, Fahim, stands out with some funny one-liners.... full review

So-So, by Uday Bhatia, Live Mint : ...Aziz’s films after Happy Bhaag Jayegi (2016) haven’t quite landed, but he has an undeniable way with words. All the actors get eccentrically memorable lines here, with Aparshakti a particular delight. Not many performers have the chops to make “Astaghfirullah" and “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone" equally funny. It might be time to take the actor off supporting duty.... full review

So-So, by Vinamra Mathur, MiD DAY : ...Pati Patni Aur Woh oscillates between mirth and monotony, it's not as problematic as the trailers suggested it would, it's not anything you haven't seen before either. But given how the small-town humour has been guaranteeing big bucks at the box-office, who cares what's not good?... full review

So-So, by Kunal Guha, Mumbai Mirror : ...This makes director Mudassar Aziz’s job a tricky one,particularly if the film must reach a logical conclusionfollowing the fleeting sequences of situational comedy. And while it manages to update the betrayed spouse as a vengeful partner keen on getting even, the other woman continues tobe a dispensable accessory to the equation. As for the cheating husband, it’s only a matter of time before he can truly appreciate his biwi number 1.... full review

So-So, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...This iteration of Pati Patni Aur Woh manages to convey two truths: one, Bollywood's fictional heroines have evolved much faster than their male counterparts and two, film comedies that Mumbai churns out these days are no patch on the ones that the industry produced in earlier decades. Yet, this is a passable substitute for the real thing, which was far livelier and wittier.... full review

So-So, by Nandini Ramnath, Scroll.in : ...The women have evolved somewhat since 1978, but the men (which includes Aparshakti Khurrana as Chintu’s loyal fixer and a hilarious Shubham Kumar as Vedika’s admirer Rakesh) are clearly still a few decades behind. What if Vedika had chosen rebellion over restriction? We might have had a Patni Pati Aur Woh instead, and what a film that would have been.... full review

So-So, by Vinayak Chakravorty, Sify Movies : ...Pati Patni Aur Woh works well as a one-time watch. The reboot has its funny moments, and it works mainly for its cast.... full review

So-So, by Namrata Joshi, The Hindu : ...The film starts off quick and fast, drops pace in the middle to again pick up speed later. The lines are crisp and piercing, and delivered with a razor sharp sense of timing by the tart cast. Aparshakti Khurana, as the hero’s bestie Fahim Rizvi, is in great form in particular and walks away with the most refreshing, throwaway joke that has to do with the minority and paan. Special mention, however, for Shubham Kumar who plays Rakesh Yadav, Vedika’s student and admirer. He is such a hoot; the proverbial cherry on a cake that could have risen better.... full review

Thumbs down, by Prathyush Parasuramanhyush, Film Companion : ...A point needs to be made about the character of Tapasya, the entrant who creates the conflict that gets the movie going. She is the one who stirs Chintu’s conscience. Him getting caught by his wife makes him act on this conscience. And it is his wife’s plotting that makes him repent. There’s nothing about Chintu Tyagi that is greater than the sum of his resume. He comes into a meeting with his potential wife with a sticky note with questions to ask. When he is asked about it, he says he is an engineering student, he always comes prepared to meetings. But who will prepare such an endearing dimwit for life?... full review

Thumbs down, by Anupama Chopra, Film Companion : ...In life, a woman like Vedika would probably have dumped Chintu for Doga. Now that’s a sequel worth considering.... full review

Thumbs down, by Ankur Pathak, Huffington Post : ...Well, if the collections of Kabir Singh are anything to go by, it’s entirely possible that Pati, Patni aur Woh will turn out to be a hit. The success of a movie tells a lot about people watching that cinema than it does about those making it. And India, as we know, loves to hate its women.... full review

Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, MiD DAY : ...Basically a whole lot of random desi-lad humour, in what's essentially a naughty-uncle comedy about the wife, and woh (the other woman). Couldn't find anything funny here. Surely this sort of stuff has an audience. Hope the film finds it then.... full review

Thumbs down, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...Alternating between a farce and melodrama, thankfully none of it coming from the women, Pati Patni Aur Woh can't decide whether it wants to be the climax of a Priyadarshan comedy or give the cad a dose of his own medicine brand of cheeky payback.... full review

Twitter reviews for this movie are not available.

2 readers - 2 yays 0 so-so 0 nays

Yay! Thumbs Up, by HIMANSHU Kumar Ray : A awesome movie with beautiful songs.

Yay! Thumbs Up, by Jani Guru : nice movie

This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.

Parental Guidance:

  • Violence: None
  • Language: Clean
  • Nudity & Sexual content: A bare-chested Kartik Aryan. Some cleavage.
  • Concept: A married man gets tempted to make friends with another woman and chooses to lie about it.
  • General Look and Feel: Chirpy

Detailed Ratings (out of 5):

Direction:
Story:
Lead Actors:
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Music Director:
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Comments (3)

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To be honest, I wasn't too impressed by the trailer when it had come out, but still kept hopes that may be, the performances would make up for the loose ends in the script. But I was left disappointed last evening.

This movie is just awesome with romantic songs and you know what? The song Tu Hi Yaar Mera is heart touching.

Very Nice Movie

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