The title of the movie immediately catches your eye. You enter the theatre with some optimism, recalling that director Mudassar Aziz's previous film, "Khel Khel Mein," had its enjoyable moments, despite being a remake. In this new film, though, the director has written the script himself, and you'll find familiar characters reappearing, along with predictable scenes and clichés that drag on for over two and a half hours. As long as it's entertaining, everything is fine. It's not enjoyable, though, to villainize a working woman using that reasoning and a little humour. It takes some time to realize what's happening in Mere Husband Ki Biwi because the movie uses silly humour to mask the issue.

Premise of the film

Ankur Chaddha (Arjun), a divorcee, is haunted by nightmares of his ex-wife Prableen Dhillon (Bhumi), both during the night and whenever he interacts with other women. In short, he suffers from delusions, seeing her everywhere due to the trauma of their marriage. His best friend, portrayed by Harsh Gujral, is constantly ready to guide lifting his mood and enhancing his personal life. Following a life-threatening encounter with an exotic dancer—rooted in the same problems—he decides to head to Kasauli to pursue a career in real estate. It’s there that Antara Khanna, portrayed by Rakul Preet, literally paraglides into his life, revealing herself to be his college crush. As expected, they quickly fall in love. However, everything takes a turn when his ex-wife reappears, claiming to have lost five years of her memory.

She contemplates her life before her relationship with Ankur, including their marriage plans. She has forgotten the reasons for their divorce and the unhappiness that characterized their marriage. Despite the doctor's warnings (Tiku Talsania), both families come together to update Prableen on everything. However, true to her fiery and impulsive nature, she decides to sabotage her ex's current relationship in a bid to win him back. The plot and direction of the movie take a chaotic turn in the second half as it shifts from India to Scotland. Will there be a happy ending for Ankur and Antara? Will Prableen retrieve him? Will there be a cure for her memory loss? Is she acting or does she have memory loss? The movie makes a concerted effort to answer some of these questions.

Use of the same cliched humour to hide the underlying stereotypes

The director of Mere Husband Ki Biwi tinkers with the conventional, high-pitched romantic comedy formula, in which the hero is unconfounded even though he is serenading two attractive girls. Arjun Kapoor plays Ankur Chadha, a real estate broker who is trying to heal from a difficult marriage to journalist Prabhleen Dhillon (Bhumi Pednekar). He finds support in Antara Khanna (Rakul Preet Singh), a physiotherapist who helps him move on. She pulls out an old college album to impress him, all while feigning the creation of a healthier version of a dish to attract an audience that still enjoys classic comedies, even as discussions around the "male gaze" and "patriarchal lens" emerge. Although his efforts introduce some new perspectives—may be a welcome shift—the underlying pretence doesn't always disappear.

The idea remains the same: two women are fiercely competing for our hero's love. Yet, the path leading to this moment is free from any patriarchal influences. Just moments ago, these women seemed dedicated to their careers, but now they find themselves inexplicably trapped in a time warp, compelled to pursue their man for no clear reason. Indeed, it is the same old game of enviousness and enticement. The film incorrectly suggests that losing one's personality is simply a consequence of losing memories. This kind of storytelling highlights the current state of Bollywood. Once you've selected your lead actors, you fill the film with a supporting cast that provides a series of catchy one-liners.

Unalluring narration and screenplay - Performances trying to fill the gap

Throughout two and a half hours, you come across characters who come and go, flat scenes, and tropes. Arjun makes an effort, but it's only an attempt. The male lead in this movie should have gone completely overboard, despite his shyness, but that doesn't happen. If anything, Arjun's inability to match the necessary pitch detracts from the humour. In a particularly dramatic scene, he makes up for it by doing it flawlessly. Harsh Gujral turns out to be the most enjoyable with this freshness and well-delivered one-liners. His performance shines and he is a talent to watch out for. The women are expected to save the day, and they do so admirably.

As Prabhleen, Bhumi is a riot, refusing to back down from a fight with Antara and even sending Ankur to jail to add drama to his proposal. The film thrives on her scenes. Rakul is reliable and performs her role well. It almost captures the electric chemistry that could arise from their interactions, but it ultimately misses the mark slightly. Mudassar skillfully brings attention to persistent global issues such as Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Russia, and cleverly alludes to the current scenario in a film focused on domestic conflict by calling it "Allah ki Leela."

The issue is that Mudassar loses the narrative tempo in his attempt to fulfil every requirement. Not only do the relationships in the movie become cyclical, but the screenplay also turns into a never-ending loop. We are prepared for the Punjabi flavour by the surnames, but not for the overabundance of it in the background music and high-pitched dialogue delivery. The first half of the film feels slow as the jokes and gags often miss the mark, while the second half seems to drag on until the conclusion.

Conclusion

Mudassar Aziz's direction falls flat. Following the fun of Khel Khel Mein, I had high hopes, but this film delivers fewer laughs and misses the mark on emotional resonance. The final song, 'Gori hai Kalaiyan remix,' was merely passable, although the locations were quite visually appealing. However, the movie suffers from a weak screenplay and subpar music. There is careless editing. It leaves too many questions unanswered and too much confusion. On the whole, Mere Husband Ki Biwi could have been funny and it does make a sincere effort, but in the end, it renders to be meagre.

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