Right off the bat, Kriti Sanon, take a bow. People reading this will gradually understand why I have begun my review of Do Patti by singling her out.

Do Patti, a thriller directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi, has dropped on Netflix. Streamers had acquired a bad rep for becoming a dumping ground for some less than palatable films in the last three years. But Do Patti assures you there’s hope. 

The plot

The story revolves around demure Soumya and wild Shailee (both played by Kriti) who are twins. The latter grows up hating the other one, after their mother passes away. Shailee feels the world is on Soumya’s side. Her jealousy begins from cutting her sister’s hair as a child, and transcends to seducing Soumya’s boyfriend Dhruv (a brilliant Shaheer Sheikh). A rich spoilt brat, he decides to marry Soumya following an ultimatum by his father upon losing a business deal. The sole reason: she fits into the mould of the ‘seedhi saadhi bahu’. But he’s short tempered and resorts to domestic violence to vent out his frustrations of failing at business. Soumya’s plight is known to her maaji (Tanvi Azmi), who repeatedly tries to get police help. In comes Vidya Jyoti (Kajol), a cop who also has a law degree. One day, she gets the evidence she needs to jail Dhruv. Saying anything more would be a crime (pun intended).

Darlings vs Do Patti

Kanika Dhillon deserves props for a highly engaging story and screenplay. Domestic violence as a theme isn’t being explored for the first time in the OTT space: Alia Bhatt’s fabulous act in Darlings came to mind as I was watching Do Patti. They both share a common thread too: women taking control of the situation when everything else fails. Both films feature short-tempered spouses. But the pitches are different, and this is where the similarities end.

What works, what doesn't

The pace, especially in the first hour is bang on. For readers who want a simpler explanation: you don’t get bored, because Kanika’s screenplay is throwing different things at you rapidly. You are taking it all in- the sibling jealousy, the intrigue building up- the story keeps ticking along. The problem arrives in the last 30 minutes. The heart is in the right place, yet the momentum falters as the fight for justice gets stretched out. This is where the non-preachy pulse of Do Patti also loses steam.

Actors' report

But the person who keeps you seated through it all is Kriti. The biggest win for Do Patti lies in the fact that you are convinced Shailee and Soumya are indeed two different people. Dumb to even mention that it would have been a disaster otherwise. You sit with rapt attention as you sympathise with Soumya, being beaten black and blue by Dhruv. You hate Shailee who dresses up exactly like her sister on her wedding day, just to piss her off.

Shaheer Sheikh comes close to stealing Kriti’s thunder. Touted once as the chocolate boy of Indian television, he has got a meaty role in the film. Menacing as a cold-hearted husband, and just a MCP in general, he makes a well-written character extremely watchable.

Kajol’s portrayal of Vidya leaves a lot to be desired. It takes her time to get into the skin of her character. Her accent is off as well at places. Yes, being the dependable actor she always is, she finds her groove in the last hour. But by then she is already overshadowed by Kriti and Shaheer.

The music by Sachet-Parampara is forgettable. It feels like a hangover of the album of Shahid Kapoor’s Jersey (which was composed by the duo as well).

I wish I could do something about those penultimate 30 minutes which stop this from being a perfect film of it’s genre. But for what it offers until then, I highly recommend Do Patti.

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