Do Patti

About the film

Do Patti (transl. Two Cards) is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language drama thriller film directed by debutante Shashanka Chaturvedi and written by Kanika Dhillon, who makes her production debut under her venture Kathha Pictures alongside actress Kriti Sanon in her production debut under her venture Blue Butterfly Films. Apart from Kriti Sanon, the film stars Kajol Devgan, and marks the Hindi film debut of Shaheer Sheikh, with Tanvi Azmi playing a supporting role. The story follows a police officer's troubled ordeals with a couple wherein the wife, who has a jealous twin sister, accuses the husband of attempting to murder her, leading to the rivalry between the twins also coming under scrutiny.

Do Patti was released on Netflix on 25 October 2024 to mixed reviews from critics with praise towards the performances of all leads. The film went on to become the most-watched Netflix India Original of the year, and made it to Variety's Top Ten list of Most Watched Streaming Originals in the world.

Plot

The film opens with Saumya and Dhruv at Devipur village police station in Uttarakhand, where Saumya accuses Dhruv of attempting to kill her. The story flashes back to an earlier incident when police officer Vidya Jyothi (VJ) receives a call regarding domestic abuse but finds it dismissed as a false alarm. However, Maaji, a maternal figure to Saumya, privately reveals that she had placed the call out of concern, explaining that Saumya gets brutally abused by her husband, Dhruv, though Saumya decides to remain silent about it.

Through Maaji's account, we learn that Dhruv, the son of a minister and owner of a paragliding company in Devipur, met Saumya, who developed feelings for him. When Saumya introduces him to her family, her identical twin sister, Shailee, becomes infatuated with Dhruv. Having been the focus of care due to numerous phobias and mental health issues since their mother's death, Saumya has always been prioritised, which now fuels Shailee's resentment. Dhruv and Shailee start dating, but due to Shailee's unpredictable and bold behaviour, Dhruv starts having second thoughts, and a business deal gone wrong causes his father to pressurise him, get a hold of himself and find a homely spouse. Consequently, Dhruv marries Saumya, though Shailee continues to pursue him, causing conflict.

VJ learns of the sisters' rivalry and Dhruv's violent behaviour. Maaji recounts that whenever Saumya suggests having a child, Dhruv's temper flares, often leading to physical abuse. In one incident, he pushes her down the stairs, leaving her half-dead. Determined to bring Dhruv to justice, VJ confronts him, but Dhruv insists her fall was accidental, a claim Saumya initially supports, stating her intent to start afresh with him and not wanting to lose to Shailee.

Production

The film was officially announced on 5 July 2023 as a Netflix thriller, titled Do Patti and led by Kriti Sanon and Kajol Devgan, in their second film post Dilwale (2015). It also marks Kanika Dhillon's production debut under Kathha Pictures, with Kriti Sanon turning producer as well, under her banner Blue Butterfly Films. In October 2023, television actor Shaheer Sheikh joined the cast.

Principal photography commenced in August 2023. Filming took place in Mumbai, Nainital, and Dehradun. The filming wrapped up in December 2023.

Music

The first single titled "Raanjhan" was released on 4 October 2024. The second single titled "Akhiyaan De Kol" was released on 18 October 2024.

The song "Akhiyaan De Kol" was a remake of the song "Ankhiyan Nu Rehan De" by the Pakistani singer Reshma.

Reception

Do Patti received mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 50% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10. It received mixed reviews from audiences.

Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com rated the film 2 out of 5, writing, "Dysfunctionality triggered by scarred childhood is a valid point but doesn't find an active voice in Do Patti's half-baked diabolism, which needed to be more Dead Ringers than The Parent Trap. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film 1.5 out of 5, writing, "There’s enough in Kriti Sanon-Kajol film for a juicy, substantive drama. But the unpacking turns more into an unravelling, mainly because the writing is shallow, and the characters lack depth."

Aakriti Agarwala of The Statesman writes, "Do Patti aimed to connect several social issues of generational trauma, domestic violence, and discourse around patriarchy and its inherent nature via a thriller. Additionally, the film hinged upon the dichotomy between the ‘word of law’ and the ‘spirit of law’ but it lacked the punch to do so. Despite harbouring good intentions, the unidimensional characterisations and a convenient storyline don't leave much scope to weigh on the issues."

Key details