‘Pati Patni Aur Woh Do’ Review: Ayushmann Khurrana Excels In This Twisted Love Quadrangle

Situational comedies are fun, especially when the timing is right. A lot of joy and laughter lie in the pauses and moments between the lines, particularly when the characters driving those moments are well-defined. In the case of Mudassar Aziz’s latest offering, “Pati Patni Aur Woh Do,” the best laughs arrive at the most unexpected moments. His take on a twisted quadrangle of love, friendship and marriage feels fresh, while also serving as a fun throwback to the early 2000s, when comedies like "Welcome" and "No Entry" ruled the box office.

Prajapati Pandey (Ayushmann Khurrana) works as a forest officer, while his wife Aparna (Wamiqa Gabbi) is a news reporter chasing a lead that promises her both a promotion and the chance to own a TV network. The catch? The lead involves tracking Chanchal Kumari (Sara Ali Khan) and her romantic liaison with boyfriend Sunny (Vishal Vashishtha). Enter Prajapati’s best friend and colleague at the forest bureau, Nilofer Khan (Rakul Preet Singh), who aids him in this rib-tickling cover-up. As simple as the premise may sound, it leaves ample room for plot U-turns and supporting characters to create some genuinely funny moments.

Ayushmann Khurrana makes a solid comeback to a genre and space he once owned. Even if this laugh riot loses steam midway, Khurrana’s ability to deliver both a strong performance and make mainstream comedy feel relevant again deserves applause. His scenes with all three women work because he brings enormous charm and believability to them. As Chanchal, Sara Ali Khan is easy on the eyes and should do more roles that go beyond song-and-dance tropes. Her comic timing with Khurrana is fantastic. Together, they play off some sharply written lines and deliver many of the film’s funniest scenes.

Wamiqa Gabbi plays his wife with conviction, bringing a subdued, investigative humor to the role. She isn’t merely suspicious of her husband; she’s intelligent and determined to fact-check everything she’s told. Rakul Preet Singh gets the accent right and proves to be the perfect sidekick to Ayushmann in several standout scenes. The trio of female leads, along with Khurrana, is a major reason why the film works.

An area often overlooked in comedy films is the supporting cast. Here, Mudassar Aziz ropes in heavyweights like Vijay Raaz and Tigmanshu Dhulia, both of whom are excellent in their parts. Durgesh Kumar and Guneet Singh, who play Mahinder and Surinder, act as the prying eyes tracking Prajapati and Chanchal, and end up delivering some of the film’s best lines. Mudassar understands the rhythm and tempo required to mount humor on a large scale. He has done this effortlessly in his previous films, including “Khel Khel Mein” (2024) and the predecessor to this film, “Pati Patni Aur Woh" (2019).

Whether it’s the throwback to old-school Bollywood songs or the heightened drama that amps up the fun quotient, “PPAWD” gets it right more often than not for most of its runtime. Where the film falters somewhat is in its loosely drafted climax and a lazy second half. Despite these flaws, “Pati Patni Aur Woh Do” stands as proof that you can still make clean, entertaining comedy without succumbing to cringe or crude humor. It marks a return to form for Khurrana and serves as a reminder of why Hindi cinema needs more theatrical comedies. This one is a fun watch.