'Do Patti' review: Low on thrills, high on predictability
Shashanka Chaturvedi's Do Patti, streaming on Netflix, wants to be a hard-hitting, fast-paced thriller. However, despite dealing with the pertinent subject of domestic violence, it leaves much to be desired. A little over two hours long, it's stuck in a rut for most of its runtime and comes on its own only in the last 30 minutes. By then, it's too little, too late.
Two identical twins, a dreadful man, and a cop
The film is centered around identical twins Saumya and Shailee (Kriti Sanon), who are on two opposite ends of the spectrum. While Shailee is more outgoing, Saumya is docile and timid. Chaos ensues when they both fall for Dhruv (Shaheer Sheikh), who eventually marries Saumya. However, when he begins beating her, local cop Vidya (Kajol) comes to her rescue. Will Dhruv face any repercussions?
Feels like a cousin of 'Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba'
Do Patti's opening scene will instantly take you back to Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba (both films are written by Kanika Dhillon). In treatment too, they are unsurprisingly similar. There's potential, a good ensemble, and the premise tricks you into believing there'll be surprises along the way, but eventually, you're drowned in disappointment. Also, with non-linear storytelling, Dhillon's stamp is all over Do Patti.
How predictable can a film be?
Once you meet Sanon's dual characters (the "homely" one and the "evil" one), and watch the domestic violence track, there's a significant chance that you'll end up guessing the climax. So, even if you watch just select portions and then jump toward the end, it'll make next to no difference. Do Patti is painfully hollow and flimsy and narrative depth is nonexistent.
Craving fast-paced fun? Very little to be found here
Thrillers must be taut and to the point, establish the setting and then progress to critical plot points. However, Do Patti is like a hamster on a wheel: It keeps hobbling on but there's hardly any new development, and five scenes are used to showcase what we can easily fathom in one. Moreover, numerous songs simply extend the runtime and pull the movie down.
Don't expect much logic or sanity
Logical inconsistencies are the bedrock of Do Patti. We're told Saumya has a fear of heights, but in one of her first scenes, she agrees to paraglide with Dhruv, a stranger, because he asks her out politely. Acrophobia hardly works that way! Dhruv's characterization? He is as filmy as they come and can sweep a girl off her feet within seconds.
Wakes up with a jolt in the climax
After needless songs, unnecessary scenes, and a whole lot of nothing, Do Patti finally somewhat wakes up to its potential in the last half an hour. It suddenly becomes slick but then throws a (highly predictable) twist at you, so the final payoff feels quite toothless and weak. When a simple idea is stretched ridiculously thin, the outcome is a film like Do Patti.
Sanon and Sheikh shine in their respective roles
Sanon's portrayal of Saumya and Shailee initially seems nondescript, but as the film proceeds, her competent hold on the two diametrically different characters swims to the surface. She's particularly good in scenes featuring mental and physical breakdowns. Sheikh doesn't offer a chance to complain and shines throughout (especially in rage-filled sequences), but surprisingly, Kajol struggles with the local accent and is miscast.
Undercooked writing plagues the film
Another problem that infests Do Patti is that everything is lent surface-level treatment and little attention is paid to making anything believable or meaty. The reason why Saumya doesn't complain about Dhruv—because she doesn't want Shailee to "win"—is broken and faulty. When logic has such a hard time settling in Do Patti, how can we care about any character at all?
Sanon's fan? Watch it once, or else, skip it completely
As much as I want to admire DP for weaving a story about domestic violence and demonstrating female solidarity, lack of logic and painfully slow storytelling rob it of novelty. When you can predict the final scene a few minutes after a film begins, it says a lot about the overall substandard treatment. A thriller with no thrills, it gets 1.5/5 stars.
