- Mudassar Aziz's seventh film Pati Patni Aur Woh Do releases this week in theatres
- The film stars Ayushmann Khurrana with Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh, and Wamiqa Gabbi
- Aziz denies the film legitimises infidelity and says women in his films have agency
Director Mudassar Aziz's seventh film, Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, featuring Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead, releases in theatres this week. Since the trailer dropped, a section of the Internet has claimed that the film normalises infidelity. Dismissing the chatter, Mudassar Aziz said the women in his films have agency.
"This is my seventh film. Never before have I made a film that legitimises infidelity," Aziz told Mid-Day.
Aziz argued that in all his films, he has tried to portray gender politics from a balanced point of view.
"Both Ayushmann and I have a history of doing films that don't approach gender politics in a skewed way. In Pati Patni Aur Woh , the husband faces the consequences of his actions when his wife and girlfriend join forces. In Happy Bhag Jayegi , I created a protagonist who chooses her partner. Women in my films have always had agency. They are never passive recipients of male behaviour," Aziz said.
Did he have to convince Ayushmann to come on board for the film?
"We had three rounds of narrations. After the first time, Ayushmann said he wanted to hear it again. Before the third narration was over, he was having so much fun that he said, 'Let's do it.' He comes with a history of subjects that are difficult. He is never afraid of complicated emotional space," the director said.
Ayushmann Khurrana shares screen space with Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh, and Wamiqa Gabbi in the film. While Wamiqa plays his wife, the other two women are instrumental in raising a storm in his married life.
Produced by Bhushan Kumar and Renu Ravi Chopra under T-Series Films and B. R. Studios, it is a spiritual sequel to the 2019 film Pati Patni Aur Woh featuring Kartik Aaryan, Bhumi Pednekar, and Ananya Panday.