Do Patti Review : Kajol & Kriti Sanon Try Hard To Save A Bad Thriller

RATING - ⭐ ⭐ 2/5*

Do Patti Review Movie Talkies:

I have been strictly told not to give any spoilers, so here are some references for you that you might have seen before watching Do Patti or would like to watch after watching Do Patti: Witness for the Prosecution (1957), What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), Twisted Sisters (2006), Section 375 (2019), and Thadam (2019). We can keep Alone (2007) and The Handmaiden (2016) aside, saying, "Let's not go that brutal." You combine all those films, and the scientific equation would be quite similar to what Do Patti has managed to form in two hours. The idea of twin sisters—one good, one bad—similar to our fairy tale of the white queen and black queen—isn't really new, and so isn't Do Patti. The whole outdated and full of cliches plot somehow comes to life in the last 30 minutes, that too because of courtroom drama that we often enjoy, while the rest of the show is purely another low-grade pulpy 90s magazine affair formed by Kanika Dhillon, just like Haseen Dillruba, Ek Villian Returns, Dunki, Judgementall Hai Kya, and Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba. You know Kanika's writing from these movies, so you know what to expect in Do Patti!

Female police officer Vidya (Kajol) is set to solve a domestic abuse case but isn't getting any evidence. Cut to flashback, Sauma and Shailee (both played by Kriti Sanon) are twin sisters who turn into enemies after their mother's death. Shailee is sent to the hostel due to her selfish behavior (or maybe something else actually), while Saumya lives with her new Amma (Tanvi Azmi). Sauma is calm, composed, and kind, while Shailee is wild (that's so typical), selfish, and nasty (and sexy, of course). Saumya falls in love with the handsome boy, Dhurv (Shaheer Sheikh), but before she could express her feelings, Shailee returns from the hostel and literally snatches Dhruv away with her killer and wild attitude. At first, Dhruv is crazy about this wild girl, but soon he realizes that he might be going for the wrong sister. He finally marries Saumya, leaving Shailee defeated by her sister yet again. Remember Amrita Singh and Juhi Chawla from Aaina (1993)? What happens after marriage that the police have to get involved and what these two sisters have really cooked that has the police officer and also a lawyer, Vidya, pissed off.

Do Patti has a very bad screenplay, and a few scenes just can't be overlooked. There is something in Kanika's writing that sees women in a different light, and that's why all those movies haven't been able to receive appreciation. Do Patti is in the same slot. The idea of making a "girl" as an element of the checklist is so terrible to see. Dhruv literally switches 3 affairs in those 15 minutes of runtime. First 5 minutes it's Saumya, then the next 5 he's with Shailee, and in the next 5 minutes he's back to Saumya. How can any girl accept him after that? How can a girl, not a hateful sister, but any girl, go in her sister's bedroom on her wedding night and still be shameless about the whole scene? "Kuch nahi High Court jaayenge, dekh lenge inn auraton ko"—How can a male lawyer say this thing in the courtroom in front of a female judge? Shailee's sexual advances, Saumya's helpless woman attitude, and Amma's silly behavior—everything is written so tastelessly. Even if you are copying pulpy magazine stories that had been sold at the railway station in the 90s, you still have to have higher probability and reliability of the events. The writing of this film just doesn't have it; rather, it murders the whole idea with these cheap things. The twist in the tale may surprise you, that is, if you haven't seen those above-mentioned films/classics, but otherwise you are in for a two-hour boredom.

The performances keep the film and you both awake. It's a new zone for Kriti Sanon. Playing two contradictory characters is always tough, but she got a couple references to legendary actresses from films like Sita Aur Geeta and Chaalbaaz. The second role of Shailee wasn't really hard because she just had to be a spoiled modern girl, but Saumya is something where she had to put some effort. She does fine overall, but nothing great, like in the "Mimi" zone. Kajol is a total bad-asshh here! From words like BC, Chuutiyeee to a fearless eye contact with a rat like Dhruv, everything came so naturally at this age from her. Single woman's power or lady Singham's power, not sure. Whatever, it was good enough. Shaheer Sheikh looks handsome and neat here, even though the character hasn't been written well. A man with anger issues, come on, what are you selling me in 2024? That's been done and dusted in the 90s. Do I have to remind you what Nana Patekar has done back in the 90s? Talents like Tanvi Azmi, Brijendra Kala, Vivek Mushran, Prachi Shah, and one more (can't say because no spoilers remember) haven't been used well and given enough space.

Also read – The Wild Robot Review: Easily The Most Heart-Touching Film Of The Year

Speaking of technical support, Do Patti's got some thrilling background score. The music disappoints, though. Raanjhan and Akhiyan De are neither soothing nor enjoyable. The cinematography by Mart Ratassepp was pretty decent. I really liked how he captured Kriti's red cheeks and nose right before the paragliding scenes, giving us the feel of cold weather, as per the location. The film is low on production value and art design, and the editing lacks grip in the first half. You know your loo breaks, and there are plenty because you're going to watch it at home (not theater). Shashanka Chaturvedi's direction has its flaws and its own highs, but it couldn't beat the bad script. It doesn't matter how well you direct the film; you can never defeat a thriller with bad writing. A masala action movie or a comedy movie can be saved with high-scale elevation scenes or massy elements despite a bad script, but that's not the case with a thriller. You must have a good script and screenplay, or else, just don't make a thriller.