Director Mudassar Aziz defends Pati Patni Aur Woh Do amid infidelity criticism

Director Mudassar Aziz has responded to criticism that his upcoming film, Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, trivialises extramarital affairs and promotes infidelity, saying he does not agree with that interpretation. His remarks come after Ayushmann Khurrana also addressed the criticism and said the film is not promoting infidelity, but is instead a family comedy of errors.

In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Aziz said filmmakers and genres carry a responsibility towards the stories they tell, but argued that people are often quick to label content without understanding its context or intent. He said the sequel explores marriage and misunderstandings without portraying the husband as someone with a "roving eye".

Aziz on the criticism

Aziz said, “Every genre and every maker should have an individual responsibility and a responsibility toward the story. And I feel that, unfortunately, we are living in a very trigger-happy world where we want to quickly say, ‘Oh, this is like this, or that is like that’,” he said.

The film marks Aziz’s return to the comedy-of-errors genre, taking the classic ‘woh’ trope to another level. It stars Ayushmann Khurrana as a forest officer whose life spirals into chaos as he finds himself entangled with not just his wife, played by Wamiqa Gabbi, but also characters portrayed by Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh. As misunderstandings pile up, the entire town begins to believe Ayushmann’s character, Prajapati, is a philanderer.

While talking about the film’s theme, Aziz said, “You are also challenging yourself. You have a quest to give the audience something new this time. I said to myself, ‘How about if we make this subject with a nihaayat hi patnivrata (extremely devoted to wife), jisko kehte hain na ki ekdum sabhya purush (extremely civilised man)?’.”

He further explained how Pati Patni Aur Woh Do differs from earlier versions of the franchise. He said he wanted to explore the idea of marriage and misunderstandings without portraying the husband as someone with a “roving eye”. He also reflected on how the theme has evolved over generations, from B R Chopra’s original take to his own 2019 adaptation starring Kartik Aaryan.

“It’s not necessarily that the person is wrong, but sometimes communication breaks down between two people, and things can go wrong. So this time I said, ‘Give yourself this luxury, let's make a Pati Patni Aur Woh in which the pati (husband) does not have a roving eye,’” he added.

Ayushmann Khurrana on infidelity claims

Earlier, Ayushmann addressed the criticism around the film and said the intention was not to promote infidelity. He said the film goes beyond a typical rom-com and leans more towards comedy and situational humour.

“We are not promoting infidelity because it’s a family film. Everyone will enjoy watching this film; it’s a comedy of errors," he said.

Pati Patni Aur Woh Do serves as a sequel to the 2019 hit Pati Patni Aur Woh. Mudassar Aziz, who directed the original film, has also helmed the follow-up. The first instalment starred Kartik Aaryan, Bhumi Pednekar, and Ananya Panday in lead roles.

The sequel was initially slated for a Holi 2026 release but was later postponed. The makers have now confirmed that the film will hit theatres on May 15.