Kriti Sanon’s ‘Do Patti’ Is 4th Most Watched Film On Netflix

Indian star Kriti Sanon has a stellar presence in the new Hindi film Do Patti. The film released on Netflix on October 25 and has made it to the streaming giant’s list of top ten most-watched non-English films globally. According to the platform, Do Patti made it to the fourth slot on the list with five million views. The movie is written by Kanika Dhillon and Shashanka Chaturvedi has directed it. Shaheer Sheikh features opposite Kriti Sanon in the film that also stars Brijendra Kala, Tanvi Azmi and Kajol in important roles.

François Uzan’s French adventure fantasy Family Pack topped the list of non-English films, followed by Indonesian crime thriller The Shadow Strays directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Do Patti features right behind the Polish movie Justice on the list. On the list compiled by Netflix, Do Patti registered 10.7 milion watch hours on the platform in the week ending October 27.

Apart from the global list, Do Patti also made it to the top 10 most-watched films’ list in 18 countries including India, Canada, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Morrocco, Maldives, Indonesia, Kuwait, Pakistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Writer Dhillon’s Kathha Pictures and Sanon’s Blue Butterfly Films have produced Do Patti which revolves around twin sisters who fall for the same guy and Kajol is the no-nonsense cop who happens to be posted in town when the twins encounter a series of untoward incidents.

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Do Patti focusses on jealousy, sibling rivalry, and the cause and effects of domestic abuse. Dhillon has wrapped up all the subjects at hand, sensitively, in a thriller. The best part of the film is the way it handles domestic abuse - it showcases how normalized it is in the society, how the victims often become saviors for the criminals in such cases and refuse to make formal complaints, even when their lives are at stake. Do Patti also highlights the adverse effects of domestic abuse in the family, especially on the children.

A major victory for film is that it manages to show the effects domestic abuse has on the victim’s mental health, without trivializing or over-dramatizing it. We get to see how a victim may get depressed, feel suicidal, and even vengeful, with the narrative of Do Patti. The film does not stack the blame on the victim for suffering through it all, it recognizes the kind of courage and strength it takes to speak up about the abuse one receives from a loved one.

The backdrop of picturesque Indian state of Uttarakhand adds to the brilliance of the frames which come alive each time Sanon is onscreen. Do Patti is a clear testimony of Sanon’s evolving onscreen skills and her characters in the film offer enough meat for her to chew on. Sanon plays the demure, under-confident girl with as much finesse as she does the twin who easily bends traditions and breaks barriers of society as well as emotional bonds to suit her needs.

Sheikh does a fine job of essaying the role of a typical rich brat who is conscious of his image but also has anger issues. Kajol’s realistic approach to criminals and corruption in the system is convincing, but moments written to orchestrate her image appear over-the-top at times. Her act, good in itself, does not quite match the glory of Sanon’s acting chops in Do Patti. A major reason for that is that Sanon is the focus of this sensitive narrative about domestic abuse and the different ways it affects people around. Kajol’s character of a dangerously righteous police officer is more about defining the grey areas of right and wrong, than focusing on the character’s multi-dimensional personality and arc. Do Patti also features Sohaila Kapur, Chittaranjan Tripathy, and Vivek Mushran in small but impactful roles.

Do Patti has its share of flaws, and a major one is that it fails to maintain the punch of an edgy thriller throughout the journey - a journey that lasts more than two hours. The entire plot, as well as twists and turns in the story are extremely predictable. The film also lacks the typically quirky style of dialogues that most Dhillon films have had in the past.

Indian films on the list

Apart from Do Patti, two other Indian films made it to the global list of ten most-watched non-English movies on Netflix this week. While Do Patti had a direct online release, the other two films released in theatres several weeks prior to their digital premiere.

Meiyazhagan

Karthi’s Tamil film Meiyazhagan has also made it to the global list of top 10 most-watched non-English films on Netflix in the week ending October 27. Written and directed by C Prem Kumar, the film also features Arvind Swamt, Sri Divya, Rajkiram, Devadarshini, Sriranjanai and Ilavarasu. Jyothika and Suriya have produced it under 2D Entertainment. The film released in theatres in September and landed online on October 27.

Khel Khel Mein

Akshay Kumar and Taapsee Pannu-starrer Khel Khel Mein also stayed in the most-watched list for the week. Directed by Mudassar Aziz, the film released in theatres on August 15, and landed on Netflix on October 10. Khel Khel Mein was produced by T-Series Films, Wakaoo Films, and White World Productions. The Hindi movie is an adaptation of the 2016 Italian film Perfetti Sconosciut (Perfect Strangers).