What Is the Story About?
Shailee and Saumya are twin sisters who lose their mom early in life. Ever since, they don’t get on well with one another and Shailee is soon shifted to a boarding school. Many years later, Saumya falls for Dhruv, an adventure sports enthusiast and son of a politician. Shailee, unexpectedly, returns to her home town and tries to be the party pooper in their relationship. Where’s the tale headed?
Performances?
Kriti Sanon in her maiden production essays a double role with impressive finesse, portraying the contrasting twins Shailee and Saumya effectively. No prizes for guessing that Shailee is the pulpier, interesting role of the two. Kajol is particularly impressive with her comic timing, slipping into the shoes of a street-smart cop-cum-lawyer.
Tanvi Azmi, as the well-meaning aunt, has a terrific screen presence and makes a mark while she lasts. In one of his first mainstream film outings, Shaheed Sheikh bags a juicy, flawed role that ‘every viewer would love to hate.’ Revealing the various layers to Dhruv gradually, he creates a solid impact. Vivek Mushran, Brijendra Kala and Chittranjan Tripathi make for a formidable supporting cast with their experience.
Analysis
Fresh after the widely watched Haseen Dilruba and its sequel Phir Aayee Haseen Dilruba, screenwriter Kanika Dhillon is back on Netflix with a newer cousin of the premise – Do Patti, another domestic thriller set in a small town, centred around a marriage on the rocks. The setup is pulpier, addressing a tale of domestic abuse, revolving around twin sisters involved with the same man.
Much like the aforementioned films, the initial segments of Do Patti are misleading, where the viewer nearly buys it as a good twin-evil twin story. Saumya embodies the ‘sundar, susheel and gharelu’ stereotype while Shailee looks very much the spoilt brat. Their equation takes a tenser turn when Shailee fiddles with her sister’s love life until the man decides otherwise.
The man – Dhruv – has the chocolate boy look that distracts us from his obvious problems. However, the plot significantly unfolds through a witty yet no-nonsense cop Vidya Jyothi – the only daughter of an idealist judge and a pragmatic lawyer. She doesn’t mind laughing at herself but takes her work seriously, giving it back to her condescending constable whenever necessary.
Do Patti is slightly simplistic and basic to take off. With the sparring twin sisters, an abusive husband and a female cop at the helm, it’s anyone’s guess as to how the film is expected to end. The sibling dynamics – of two sisters falling for the same guy – isn’t particularly novel. Even when the cat is out of the bag, the deceptive narration is not always smart (it’s not hard to second-guess the series of events)
It’s a little too convenient that Vidya changes her role, from a cop to a lawyer, whenever necessary. Still, she’s a much-needed break from the typical, angry male saviour cops of Hindi cinema. Meanwhile, the courtroom drama is too vanilla – it doesn’t help that the women remain unchallenged in a high-stakes game. A good third act salvages the film to an extent, even if the messaging is forced.
The court arguments, where the sisters look back in time about a traumatic childhood and the wounds it has left behind, could’ve been integrated into the narrative better. The film, beyond domestic abuse, is a call for sisterhood and solidarity – a woman standing up for her counterpart for larger justice. The path is filled with bumps and potholes, though the performances hold the film together. Do Patti isn’t without its problems, has an undeniable Haseen Dilruba hangover and a slippery screenplay but you’re nevertheless sucked into its world for the most part.
Music and Other Departments?
Anurag Saikia has a whale of a time, alternating among the various contours of the film seamlessly through a stylish, charismatic music score. Sachet-Parampara’s songs are decent though not much can be said about their recall value. Cinematographer Mart Ratassepp utilises his colour palette wisely to drive the story forward visually. The dialogues create a reasonable impact too. The 127-minute runtime is more or less ideal.
Highlights?
Kriti Sanon, Kajol’s performances
Deceptively packaged narrative
Good cinematography, dialogues
Drawbacks?
Feels like a distant cousin of Haseen Dilruba
The social message isn’t integrated into the film well
A dull, non-happening start
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts
Will You Recommend It?
If you’re a thriller enthusiast
Do Patti Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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