Movie Review - Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi by Suhel Johar

Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi Audience Ke Liye Sardardi

 

Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi which commenced shooting back in the year 2014, finally hit the screens after a long struggle. A rom-com based on inter-caste marriage, PKPS joins the list of many wedding movies that released this year, including, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Running Shaadi, Baaraat Company, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha etc. While we may think inter-caste marriages may no more be an issue, veteran actors Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal who are sharing screen space first time in 20 years after Damini show us the actual problems in a Gujju-Punju love-story. Indeed, inter-caste marriage is a great formula used successfully in many bollywood films with great results. However, when writer-director Sanjay Chhel attempts this idea with his comic caper Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi he ends up with a dud.

The story of PKPS revolves around the Gujarati family of Paresh Rawal and the Punjabi family of Rishi Kapoor. Hasmukh Patel (Paresh Rawal) is an orthodox man who lives in Mumbai with his two daughters Nimisha (Jinal Belani) and Pooja Patel (Payal Ghosh). Mr. Patel, being the strict father he is, has imposed a lot of restrictions upon the Patel family daughters who are not allowed to go out of the house, not talk to people, or do anything fun for that matter, due to a dark past. But things change with the entry of Tandon family, who has shifted in the house right opposite and have an over friendly approach towards Patel's family. While Hasmukh Patel and Gurpreet Tandon (Rishi Kapoor) are quarreling over little things, Monty Tandon (Vir Das) is busy impressing Pooja. In the due course of time, they end up teaching the Patel family how to have fun. However, they end up breaking Nimisha's marriage and that's where things get ruined. What happens here on you need to watch to find out.

Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi is dated, not just in terms of look but also in terms of content. On second thoughts, a film like this won’t have worked even two decades ago. The pace is inconsistent and few sequences are badly edited and quickened. It’s more or less a comic caper but there are very few sequences that will actually make you laugh.

A romantic track between Pooja and Monty starts all of a sudden. The whole track is extremely poor and looks fake. Before you realise, there’s also a quiz show a la Kaun Banega Crorepati sequence thrown in. The entire mystery surrounding ‘Pat Singh’ is absurd. Rap song, a dandiya song, an action sequence at a highway dhaba – there are so many unwanted stuffs added into the film just for the heck of it. The tried, tested and jaded offerings of this nonsensical comedy will induce more anger than laughter.

Sanjay Chhel’s direction is amateurish. The film is an amalgamation of random scenes badly sewn together and the manner in which so many things are forced into the narrative is shocking. Sanjay Chhel also fails as a writer because his story is bland and screenplay is one of convenience while his dialogues are okay, but only at few places. Cinematography by Neelabh Kaul and Venugopal is below average. Editing by     Sanjay Sankla is bad. Music by Lalit Pandit and Uttank Vora is forgettable.

Rishi Kapoor does a fine job. He puts in an effortless act which is let down by the writer-director.  Paresh Rawal justifies his character of a stupid father. Vir Das looks a bit out of place and confused. Payal Ghosh cant act. Prem Chopra is wasted. Bharati Achrekar, Tiku Talsania, Rajeev Mehta, Dayashankar Pandey,  Jinal Belani, and Divya Seth do as required.

On the whole, Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi is so stupid that you can even skip it when it is shown on television.