'Mere Husband Ki Biwi' review: Funny, but that's not enough
What's the story
Mere Husband Ki Biwi, directed by Mudassar Aziz (Khel Khel Mein, Happy Bhag Jayegi), fits right into his filmography.
Aziz has tasted success in this genre, so, unsurprisingly, he uses the same tried-and-tested tropes, and the result is a hit-and-miss.
The first half is entertaining and hilarious in parts, but the second half loses its way, turning MHKB into a mediocre affair.
Plot
A man torn between his ex-wife and girlfriend
The film follows Ankur (Arjun Kapoor), whose ex-wife Prabhleen (Bhumi Pednekar) suffers retrograde amnesia and forgets why their relationship turned sour and they eventually parted ways.
This becomes a major problem because Ankur is ready to get married to Antara (Rakul Preet Singh).
As Ankur finds himself torn between his past and future, which path will he finally choose?
#1
The locations and comedy help the film start well
Aziz creates beautiful, vibrant worlds in his films that immediately draw you in, making you want to be part of them.
Shot extensively in Delhi, the film rests on the camaraderie between Ankur and his friend Rehaan (Harsh Gujral), and the Delhi slang, woven into their dialogues, grounds the series into reality.
Though Gujral's comedy becomes loud sometimes, he manages well overall.
#2
Fast-paced narrative and one-liners draw you in
Things move fast in Aziz's films, and MHKB is no different.
Characters and conflicts are established quickly, there aren't many unnecessary scenes in the first half, and things move smoothly and confidently.
The one-liners, delivered mostly by Rehaan and Ankur, are the biggest highlight, and the film sometimes springs a surprise in places when you expect it the least.
#3
It has some progressive points to make
Beneath the loud comedy are the dramatic, thoughtful, and progressive aspects of MHKB.
The film makes a strong case for divorces (once all other avenues have failed) and stresses that there should be no taboo associated with second chances.
To its credit, it doesn't turn these parts into preachy, sermon-like sequences, so the message is delivered without it seeming like a "message."
#4
Negatives: Becomes repetitive and predictable in the second half
MHKB, however, comes with its share of flaws.
Since the trailer had already revealed the biggest surprise—Prabhleen's amnesia—this doesn't leave a lot of scope for creativity and any more twists.
After a juncture, the movie completely abandons its comedy and ventures into predictable territory, becoming a slog, a taxing chore that demands immense effort and attention from you.
#5
Suffers due to underdeveloped supporting characters
In movies like these, the supporting characters are almost always tragically expendable.
Kanwaljit Singh, Shakti Kapoor, Mukesh Rishi, Alka Kaushal, and Kavita Kapoor comprise the ensemble cast, but we know next to nothing about them.
Needlessly loud background accompanies punchlines, so much so, that it drowns the dialogues.
Moreover, the stereotypical representation of Punjabi families also works against Mere Husband Ki Biwi.
Verdict
Skip in theaters; watch on OTT; 2.5/5 stars
Mere Husband Ki Biwi provides laughs and deserves credit for a somewhat different spin (although the ending is admittedly predictable and safe) on an age-old trope.
Bollywood has seemingly stopped producing comedy films, so Mere Husband Ki Biwi somehow fills that void, but it certainly needed better characters and stronger writing.
It starts well and entertains you, but then fizzles out.
2.5/5 stars.