Bollywood stars Kajol and Kriti Sanon's film 'Do Patti' was released on Netflix on October 25, 2024 and has caught the attention of movie lovers. Directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi, this dramatic thriller is written by Kanika Dhillon and produced by Kriti Sanon under her Blue Butterfly Films banner. Kriti appears in a double role in this film, while Kajol mesmerizes as a firebrand police inspector.
Shaheer Sheikh, Tanvi Azmi, and Brijendra Kaala play supporting roles. The film, which is driven by domestic violence, twin sister jealousy, and revenge drama, impresses with some strong performances, but fails to achieve a complete hit due to flaws in the story and screenplay. How is this film, what is good, what is disappointing? Let's see the review!
What is the story?
The story of ‘Do Patti’ takes place in a small town called Devipur in Uttarakhand. The story revolves around twin sisters Soumya and Shaili (Kriti Sanon). Soumya is a soft, traditional housewife, while Shaili is a bold, rebellious type of girl. There is jealousy and competition between them since childhood, and this rivalry increases after the death of their mother. Soumya marries her boyfriend Dhruv Sood (Shaheer Sheikh), but Dhruv turns out to be a violent husband and takes out his business losses on Soumya. This is where Shaili returns to her sister’s life and tries to seduce Dhruv, which starts the twists and turns in the story.
Entering into this chaos is Vidya Jyoti (Kajol), an honest police inspector. Investigating an attempted murder case, she struggles to find the truth amidst Soumya and Shailee's secrets and Dhruv's violent nature. The story progresses with courtroom drama, twin sisters swap trope, and revenge elements. But, the predictable plot and some illogical scenes do not allow the film to grip completely.
How is the film?
'Do Patti' is a good attempt as an emotional drama and thriller. It touches on a serious topic like domestic violence and shows the jealousy between sisters in an interesting way. Kriti Sanon's double role and Kajol's energetic performance are the biggest pluses of the film. The story is very engaging in the first half, but the pace slows down in the second half and the courtroom scenes feel stretched. Some gaps and predictable twists in the screenplay diluted the thriller experience.
The way domestic violence was shown was intense in some scenes, but it was disappointing that it was not balanced as a social message or a thriller element. The Gadhawali accent written for Kajol's character feels a bit unnatural, it would have been better if her character had a little more depth. Although the concept of twin sisters is old, Kriti Sanon's performance made it somewhat fresh. However, the film as a whole could not reach the level of domestic violence theme films like 'Darlings'.
Performance
Kriti Sanon (Soumya, Shaily): Kriti Sanon brought this film to life! As Soumya, she showed her vulnerable, emotional side, and as Shaily, she showed her bold, revengeful side. She clearly showed the difference between the two characters and proved her range in acting. Her first attempt as a producer was also impressive.
Kajol (Vidya Jyoti): Kajol brought energy to the film with her screen presence. Her dialogue delivery and compassion as a police inspector were good, but the lack of proper writing for her character and the slightly weak dialogues did not fully utilize her talent.
Shaheer Sheikh (Dhruv Sood): TV actor Shaheer Sheikh scored good marks in his film debut as a violent husband. He showed both shades of his character well, but some found his casting a little unnatural.
Supporting Cast: Tanvi Azmi and Brijendra Kaala did well in their roles, but they had very little screen time.
How was it technically?
Direction: Shashanka Chaturvedi gave the film a stylish look, but was not completely successful in gripping the story as a thriller. Although some scenes were handled well, the overall screenplay was not consistent.
Screenplay: Kanika Dhillon's writing could not reach the level of films like 'Haseen Dilruba' here. Although the domestic violence and sisterly jealousy started interestingly, some scenes in the middle seem like fillers, and the twists are not very surprising.
Cinematography: Mart Ratasep's cinematography is a big plus for the film. The backdrop of Uttarakhand hills looks amazing, and the visuals give a premium feel.
Music: Sachet-Parampara's music added an emotional touch to the film. "Mother Song" was very impressive, but some tracks seemed to break the flow of the film.
Good
Kriti Sanon's double role, Kajol's screen presence
The way the themes of domestic violence and sibling jealousy are touched
Uttarakhand visuals, Sachet-Parampara music
Kriti Sanon's good start as a producer
Disappointing
Gaps in the screenplay, predictable twists
Kajol's character lacks proper depth
The second half is stretched, courtroom scenes
Unnatural Gadhavali accent, stereotyped dialogues
Final Take
'Do Patti' tried to impress with Kriti Sanon and Kajol's performances and a serious topic like domestic violence, but the flaws in the screenplay and the predictable story prevented it from being a full-fledged thriller hit. Kriti Sanon's double role, her effort as a producer, and Kajol's energy made the film worth watching once. This film is a decent time pass for those who like emotional drama and suspense thrillers.
Rating: 2.75/5.