Do Patti: A gripping cautionary tale about the consequences of abusive relationships and how women should fight back

Do Patti movie banner

A common factor binding Do Patti and Alia Bhatt’s debut production Darlings is women taking control of their lives when everything seems to have hit a dead end. Kudos to Kriti Sanon for choosing a sensitive subject like domestic abuse for her maiden production venture.

Starcast: Kriti Sanon, Shaheer Sheik, Kajol, Tanvi Azmi, Brijendra Kala and others

Director: Shashanka Chaturvedi

Writer: Kanika Dhillon

Producers: Kanika Dhillon and Kriti Sanon

Production Companies: Kathha Pictures, Blue Butterfly Films and Vipin Agnihotri Films

Songs: Sachet- Parampara and Taniskh Bagchi

Streaming site: Netflix

Running time: 2 hours and 7 minutes

In the last few years numerous Bollywood actresses have turned producers pushing the envelope with interesting stories and strong female characters. Irrespective of the box office numbers these characters have created a solid impact. Case in point being the films produced under Anuskha Sharma’s Clean Slate Filmz. A particular mention must be made of her turn in the horror movie Pari. She played a battered young woman with a haunting past. Priyanka Chopra is another actress who has produced good movies like Sky Is Pink and The White Tiger. Her heart wrenching portrayal of a determined mother in the former was nothing less than extraordinary. One of our major commercial stars Deepika Padukone also entered into production with the flawed yet gusty Chhapaak. The biggest star of this generation Alia has produced two movies and presented one Malayalam web series Poacher under Eternal Sunshine Productions. Both Darlings and Jigra dealt with contrastingly different subjects. Darlings focused on a domestic abuse survivor, Jigra on the other hand dealt with the delayed justice system through a morally complex elder sister. Kriti Sanon’s Do Patti is a good addition to the above-mentioned films.

Do Patti is a good addition to the above-mentioned films

The story of Do Patti is set in the fictional hill station of Devaipur. It focuses on a pair of identical twins Saumya and Shelle, they are as different as chalk and cheese. Their relationship has always been strained. Out of the two Saumya needs more care given her constant paranoia. Shelle on the other is the wilder one. From an early age itself Shelle has harbored jealousy towards Saumya. Her feeling is that Saumya gets way more love from the family, according to her Saumya puts up the act of being paranoid to get more love. A good example of Shelle’s animosity is the scene where she cuts a small portion of her sister’s hair as a child. Years later this animosity takes a hugely dangerous turn with the arrival of Dhruv (fantastic Shaheer Sheikh). Dhruv gets quickly attracted to Shelle as her wild nature is more appealing to him over Saumya’s demureness. But in a major turn of events, his marriage takes place with Saumya leading to further friction among the siblings. Initially Dhruv appears to be a good husband but soon his short temperedness comes to the fore. Kajol plays police inspector Vidya Jyothi. This is the story in brief.

Kriti Sanon in a double role

A strong aspect of Do Patti is the depiction of sibling rivalry particularly the characterization of Shelle. Writer Kanika Dhillon is known for writing unorthodox women. The best example being Taapsee Pannu in the Haseen Dil Ruba movies and Manmarziyaan. Here too the writer has given interesting character traits adding to the thrill quotient of the movie. Both Saumya and Shelle carry a deep emotional baggage of their own, it is just that they have chosen different methods. In case of Saumya it is about internalizing, for Shelle escapism is the defense. This has come out well both in terms of writing and the stellar acting performance of Kriti.

The unraveling of Shaheer Sheikh’s Dhruv, how the role starts off and the eventual revelation of his true colors is also a delight to watch. Shaheer Sheikh plays the unpredictable husband with aplomb making a striking impact.

Shaheer Sheikh plays the unpredictable husband with aplomb

Through Do Patti director Shashanka Chaturvedi and Kanika Dhillon have focused on pertinent topics. The portrayal of post-traumatic stress and childhood trauma have been dealt in a poignant manner.

The depiction of domestic abuse is raw in nature, a scene which needs to be mentioned here is a disturbing altercation between Dhruv and Saumya. It is a very upsetting moment which many domestic abuse survivors will relate with.

Do Patti also plays out like an Agatha Christie Thriller. The twists and turns are fairly engrossing. A big twist leading to a poignant flashback deserves a special mention. Through the flashback there is an important message on reporting domestic violence.

Performances wise Do Patti is very much a Kriti Sanon showreel. She aces both the parts with equal ease whether it is grey shades and the eventual remorse of Shelle or the demure Saumya who will tug at your heartstrings. Kajol as police inspector Vidya Jyothi fits the part of a no- nonsense police officer, she does a fine job in portraying the tough attitude, but the Haryanvi accent feels jarring. The moral dilemmas of Vidya Jyothi at one point also needed better etching. Tanvi Azmi as the supportive caretaker brings in a lot of warmth in her small yet significant part.

Sachet Parampara and Tanishk Bagchi’s songs are just above average. The CGI and the camerawork though are of a high order more so in the portions which have two Kriti’s.

The Trial: A Gripping Drama That Goes Much Beyond The Courtroom

The real-life references that director Supan Verma brings in make Kajol’s web series debut interesting to watch.

A worthy remake!
The Trial (Hindi)
  • Cast: Kajol, Jisshu Sengupta, Sheeba Chaddha, Gaurav Pandey, Alyy Khan, and Kubbra Sait
  • Director: Supan Verma
  • Producers: Ajay Devgan and Rajesh Chadha
  • Music: Sangeet-Siddharth
  • No. of episodes: 8
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Director Supan Verma’s The Trial is centred on a woman named Nayonika Sengupta (Kajol).

It is a remake of The Good Wife (English, 2009) and deals with many relevant topics like corruption, politics, media trials, and fake news. It also marks the web series debut of Kajol.

What happens that brings Nayonika back to work is what The Trial is about.

Synopsis

One day, Nayonika’s husband Rajiv Sengupta (Jisshu Sengupta) is arrested by the police for seeking sexual favours. This incident results in her coming out of her retirement.

With the help of Vishal Chaubey (Alyy Khan), she manages to get a job at a law firm co-founded by him. Vishal and Nayonika have a past which didn’t end happily.

At the law firm, Nayonika faces the brunt of both gossip and the sexual scandal of her husband before she proves herself as a competent lawyer.

In a nutshell, the series focuses on the different cases that Nayonika takes up along with how she bravely takes on the challenges that arise in both her professional and personal life.

Makes references to real-life incidents

One of the things that makes The Trial interesting is the real-life references that director Supan Verma brings in.

For example, one of the cases is about a cricketer who commits suicide and his girlfriend is hounded by the media. A negative campaign is run against her.

This reminds you of the Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s case.

Here, the director makes some valid points about how these media trials have a severe effect on the person who is already battered.

The Trial also has some satirical commentary on the legal system which lands perfectly.

Realistic portrayal of relationships

Supan Verma does a good job of exploring the dynamics between a mother and her two young daughters. It has been treated in a realistic manner.

The two daughters face a lot of humiliation in school because of the father’s sex scandal. In fact, they are forced to mature before age.

Another track that deserves a mention is the one involving Vishal and Nayonika.

Vishal never lets their bad past come in the way of supporting Nayonika. On more than one occasion, we feel that Nayonika should have ended up with Vishal and not Rajiv.

Further, the back story of how Nayonika and Rajiv ended up together could have been explained better. But still, the scenes between Kajol and Jisshu Sengupta do pack a punch.

The aloofness of Nayonika and her hesitancy to trust Rajiv again has been wonderfully portrayed.

Performances

As Nayonika, Kajol delivers a formidable performance and is successful in bringing alive the different layers. She brings in the right amount of grit, vulnerability, and despair.

Jisshu Sengupta is solid on his part as a guilty husband.

Sheeba Chadda as Vishal’s law firm partner brings in the required authority.

The rest of the actors also deliver good performances.

Final take

Watch The Trial for a realistic portrayal of Nayonika’s professional and personal life.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

Lust Stories 2: An Engrossing Anthology About Love, Sex, And Desire

Much like its predecessor ‘Lust Stories’ (released in 2018), ‘Lust Stories 2’ also offers a fresh perspective on female desires.

Lust Stories (2018) — directed by Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, Anurag Kashyap, and Karan Johar — was a well-made anthology about female desire.

The protagonists in these segments belong to different generations, socio-economic statuses, and upbringings. But the common aspect that bound them was sex and lust.

The standout story in Lust Stories was the short directed by Zoya Akhtar. Her story was about a domestic worker and her boss. Zoya expertly tackled the issue of a class divide through the lens of lust.

Now, after a gap of five years, you have Lust Stories 2. Much like its predecessor, this also offers a fresh perspective on female desire.

Made For Each Other

Lust Stories 2 begins with R Balki short Made For Each Other. This short primarily looks at checking sexual compatibility before marriage. It opens with Veda (Mrunal Thakur) and Arjun (Angad Bedi).

You have both families discussing when their marriage should take place. At that exact moment, Veda’s  daadi (grandmother, played by Neena Gupta) asks Veda whether she and Arjun had pre-marital sex.

As expected, this leads to a complete silence in the room. Daadi also adds that checking sexual compatibility before marriage is as important as doing a test drive before buying a car.

In the hands of a lesser actor, daadi’s dialogue may have sounded awkward. However, Neena Gupta makes the cool daadi work with her natural performance. Her scenes with Mrunal in particular are very good to watch.

Mrunal Thakur and Angad Bedi don’t have a lot to work with. Nevertheless, they make for a good lovey-dovey couple.

The Mirror

The Mirror, directed by Konkana Sen Sharma, is more intense than Balki’s short.

Isheeta (Tillotama Shome) is an individual leading a mundane life. She has repressed sexual desires.

But one day, things take a significant turn when she accidentally sees her domestic help (Amruta Subhash) engaging in a sexual act with her husband in her house (Isheeta’s).

Instead of confronting the domestic help, Isheeta gets drawn to the scene. She gets a lot of pleasure from watching them.

This segment primarily looks at the inner desires of Isheeta and the complexities that arise from her voyeurism. This short also shows that lust knows no caste, colour or gender.

Both Tillotama and Amruta Subhash are in wonderful form with their uninhibited performances. Though it reminds you of Zoya Akhtar’s short in Lust Stories, Konkana adds many more layers.

Sex With Ex

Sujoy Ghosh’s Sex With Ex is a thriller in typical Sujoy Ghosh’s style. This segment of Lust Stories 2 doesn’t completely draw you in, but it isn’t a complete waste either.

David Chauhan (Vijay Varma) is involved in an accident on the outskirts of a town. While searching for a mechanic he visits a hamlet where he runs into his ex-wife Shanti (Tamannaah Bhatia).

Shanti was assumed to be dead for a long time. Expectedly, this reunion brings a flood of memories.

The best part of this segment is the real-life sensuality that Tamannaah and Vijay Varma bring to the table. The twist at the end also takes you by surprise.

Tilchatta

The last chapter of Lust Stories 2 is Tilchatta (Cockroach) directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma.

It deals with two issues mainly — firstly, it is about an upper-caste man who still feels that he is living in the age of kings; secondly, it is about a woman trying to find her agency in an abusive marriage.

The patriarch here is Kumud Mishra and the married woman is Kajol.

Tilchatta takes place in a sprawling haveli. Amit Ravindernath Sharma does a wonderful job of bringing out the toxicity and suffocation that Chanda (Kajol) and her son are going through in that large space.

There is an affecting subplot concerning sex workers since Chanda was a sex worker before getting into this haveli. This subplot adds more heft to the drama.

Both Kajol and Kumud Mishra bring their A-game. Kumud Mishra shows once again why he is considered a brilliant actor. He is absolutely terrific as the torchbearer of patriarchy. The way he unabashedly gazes at the bodies of women with so much lust makes the viewers hate him.

Kajol, as the woman trying to find her agency, conveys a lot with just her body language. As viewers, you want her to take the bold step which she eventually does, although things don’t go exactly according to the plan.

Verdict

Much like Lust StoriesLust Stories 2 also makes a bold attempt at bringing taboo topics to the forefront through the digital space.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

Salaam Venky: Venky’s Spirit Deserves A Salute, But Not The Film

Too much melodrama!

Salaam Venky (Hindi)

  • Cast: Kajol, Vishal Jethwa, Ahana Kumra, Rahul Bose, Rajeev Khandelwal, Prakash Raj, Anant Mahadevan, Priya Mani, Kamal Sadanah, Maala Parvathi, Ridhi Kumar, Aneet Padda, and Aamir Khan (special appearance)
  • Director: Revathy
  • Producers: Suraj Singh, Shraddha Agrawal, and Varsha Kukreja
  • Music: Mithoon
  • Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes

Salaam Venky, directed by Revathy, reminds the audiences of several films, including Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guazaarish.

In fact, the debate surrounding euthanasia (mercy killing) in this Kajol-starrer is inspired by Bhansali’s directorial.

However, to Revathy’s credit, she also brings the angle of organ donation through the protagonist.

The other significant influence is the 1971 classic Anand.

The protagonist, Venky, is heavily influenced by the late Rajesh Khanna’s philosophy in Anand. He firmly believes that “life must be big irrespective of the longevity”.

In Salaam Venky, Revathy tries to merge these two aspects, but it is not entirely successful.

There are some truly heartfelt moments, including an extended cameo of a big actor. However, the film never achieves its full potential.

The storyline

For those who are not aware, the story of Salaam Venky is inspired by the novel Last Hurrah. The novel itself was inspired by the true story of the 24-year-old chess player Kolavennu Venkatesh.

The movie follows the journey of a patient with the life-threatening condition DMD (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy), which weakens the muscles from an early age.

Vishal Jethwa is Venkatesh Krishnan aka Venky. His mother is Sujatha Prasad (Kajol).


Venky was expected to live only 16 years. But his zest for life coupled with Sujata’s efforts made him reach 24; however, his death is now imminent. It is only a matter of time.

Venky wants to donate his organs before he dies and urges his mother to appeal for euthanasia. Naturally, Sujata is unwilling as she has not given up on her son yet.

But soon, she reconciles with this bitter truth and accepts her son’s wishes. She finds a lawyer named Parvez Alam (Rahul Bose) with the help of Dr Shekhar (Rajeev Khandelwal).

The court agrees to hear the case but there is still a long way to go. Of course, Venky loses the case but he sparks a much-needed debate.

Apart from the aforementioned characters, there is also Aamir Khan in an extended cameo. But only Kajol can see him!

What really worked?

Before getting into the negatives, it is necessary to say a few things about what works for the film.

Revathy extracts solid performances from most of her cast.

Kajol is resilient and vulnerable in equal parts. She balances both these aspects wonderfully. She is particularly good in the scenes where she is battling her inner demons.

However, the scene-stealer is easily Vishal Jethwa. He does a successful U-turn from his roles in Mardaani 2 and the web series Human, showing good range.

The filminess of Venky’s character would have been grating in the hands of a less capable actor, but Vishal more than rises to the occasion.

His cheerful attitude in the face of adversity does bring a smile to your face.

A particular mention must be made of Venky’s scenes with his love Nandini (Aneet Padda). They are heartwarming and provide some much-needed respite.

One of the other subplots worth mentioning here is the one between Kajol and Aamir. Aamir has a mysterious presence and whenever he appears, there is curiosity in the minds of the audience.

The scenes between the two are few, but they leave a solid impact. Aamir, in an extended cameo here, is more watchable than in his last two ventures.

What didn’t work?

The second half is definitely more gripping than the first. The courtroom scenes between Rahul Bose and Priya Mani, the opposing lawyer, have some meat.

The arguments for and against euthanasia along with organ donation give the film some of its best moments.

However, the biggest issue with Salaam Venky is the tone that Revathy adopts, particularly in the first half. There is too much melodrama, which is not really needed, given the explosive content.

Additionally, the dialogues with filmy references feel overdone after a particular point. On more than one occasion, these dialogues come across as cringe rather than fun.

Some of the other subplots could have also been avoided. The case in point is Venky’s father, who makes an unnecessary comeback, only to disappear after showing how insensitive he was as a father and husband in the flashback.

Aahana Kumara as the TV reporter also doesn’t add much to the plot. The TV debates shown are artificial.

Music by Mithoon is pleasant, but the songs could have been more heartfelt.

Overall, Salaam Venky has all the right ingredients, but the garnishing is the problem!