The film promises a Punjabi wedding for a Patel family, but it doesn't deliver the said premise till the last 5 minutes of a 2-hour runtime. Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi is more a squabble between Punjabis and Gujaratis, rather than a wedding featuring two contrasting cultures. A run-of-the-mill boy meets girl romance where the Punjabi lad has to work towards convincing his Gujarati's girlfriend's dad for marriage. This film would make a rather average episode in a TV comedy show. Loud and brash like its Punjabi characters, definitely not sharp and astute like Gujarati businessmen, this film is a khichdi of Indian stereotypes and clichés.
A Punjabi family, the Tandons (Rishi Kapoor, Vir Das, Prem Chopra and Divya Seth) move from Punjab to Mumbai and land up at a gated community full of Gujarati families. Their drinking, dancing and spunky habits draw the ire of their neighbour Mr Patel (Paresh Rawal). As fate would have It, Patel's daughter Pooja (Payal Ghosh) and Tandons' son Monty (Vir Das) fall in love. So the next two hours are spent sorting the rivalry between Patels and Tandons, while their children try out a romance. For a film that has such remarkable acting talent on offer (Kapoor, Rawal and Chopra) the writing makes sure the veteran actors get some cringe worthy dialogue. Great actors are limited to being frustrating characters that promote communalism even if it is unintentionally.
The chemistry between Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal is effortless. The two actors feed off each other to make comic timing look like child's play. But their characters are frustratingly wooden and one dimensional. The ideas of neighbourhood rivalries, cultural differences between communities and old Punjabi WhatsApp humour lack the novelty needed to fuel a comedy. Focussing on the same elements in a Gujarati-Punjabi wedding setting would have been a far brighter idea. It would have given Vir Das and Payal Ghosh that much more to do.
Writer-director Sanjay Chhel though seems content at working age-old ideas in the most barebones fashion. 20 years ago, Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi would've fitted in. But in an age where swipe-left and swipe-right romances make the fresh cut and even family entertainment comes in the form of comedies like Bareilly Ki Barfi and Shubh Mangal Savdhan, the tried, tested and jaded offerings of this comedy feel a little out of place. Yes there are moments like Vir Das' Gujarati rap and Rishi Kapoor's OTT clothes that stand out. But Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi is one weary film about Indian communities and their closed mind-sets. Definitely not up to the times.
A Punjabi family, the Tandons (Rishi Kapoor, Vir Das, Prem Chopra and Divya Seth) move from Punjab to Mumbai and land up at a gated community full of Gujarati families. Their drinking, dancing and spunky habits draw the ire of their neighbour Mr Patel (Paresh Rawal). As fate would have It, Patel's daughter Pooja (Payal Ghosh) and Tandons' son Monty (Vir Das) fall in love. So the next two hours are spent sorting the rivalry between Patels and Tandons, while their children try out a romance. For a film that has such remarkable acting talent on offer (Kapoor, Rawal and Chopra) the writing makes sure the veteran actors get some cringe worthy dialogue. Great actors are limited to being frustrating characters that promote communalism even if it is unintentionally.
The chemistry between Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal is effortless. The two actors feed off each other to make comic timing look like child's play. But their characters are frustratingly wooden and one dimensional. The ideas of neighbourhood rivalries, cultural differences between communities and old Punjabi WhatsApp humour lack the novelty needed to fuel a comedy. Focussing on the same elements in a Gujarati-Punjabi wedding setting would have been a far brighter idea. It would have given Vir Das and Payal Ghosh that much more to do.
Writer-director Sanjay Chhel though seems content at working age-old ideas in the most barebones fashion. 20 years ago, Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi would've fitted in. But in an age where swipe-left and swipe-right romances make the fresh cut and even family entertainment comes in the form of comedies like Bareilly Ki Barfi and Shubh Mangal Savdhan, the tried, tested and jaded offerings of this comedy feel a little out of place. Yes there are moments like Vir Das' Gujarati rap and Rishi Kapoor's OTT clothes that stand out. But Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi is one weary film about Indian communities and their closed mind-sets. Definitely not up to the times.