Main, Meri Patni... Aur Woh!

I must say if I had seen the cover of this film and saw Rajpal Yadav and Ritupama Sengupta as the leading cast, I would have avoided the movie altogether. Luckily I was really bored and this film was showing on Star Gold, there was nothing else on so I thought I'll give it a go.

I was pleasantly surprised, from the first moment when Nasiruddin Shah was doing the commentary, I couldn't look away.

Although, Rajpal Yadav deosn't have the qualities of our megastars in terms of looks, dancing ability and fighting, he was the perfect guy for this role. His performance was great, his facial expression reflected his feelings perfectly.

His opposite, Ritupama Sengupta, also provided a great performance. The realism was great and I'm sure like myself audiences will be able to relate to some aspects of the story.

The best thing about it was I genuinely connected with the characters and was wishing Rajpal to do the right thing.

You will not be disappointed. Watch it.

A movie that tugs at your heartstrings with its simplicity and abundance of charm.

Plot Summary: Chote Sahab (Rajpal Yadav) reluctantly agrees to look over a prospective bride, Veena. He sees her and falls head over heels, they connect at some elemental level and get married. So what's the problem? Veena is a stunningly beautiful, tall woman and Chote Sahab is a dumpy short guy. You know what they say about the insecurities of the short men.. He sees trouble everywhere - the vegetable seller, the milk man, the tempo driver, his friend, her friend, all seem to be better looking and taller than him! He tries to wend his way through this minefield of more suitable men, using means both comical (fires the milk man!) and slick (gets her to tie a 'rakhi on his friend's wrist!). But her friend (Kay Kay Menon) is harder to get rid of. Misunderstandings abound, the inevitable breakup happens... watch the rest.

However, the charm of the movie is not in the rather simplistic plot but in its execution. Rituparna Sengupta is stunning as Veena - beautiful and vulnerable but never sugary sweet. See her in the ending moments of the film - stellar performance. Rajpal Yadav has been a favorite of mine since I saw him as the "video pirate" Guru in Kal Ho Naa Ho! Here he plays the diffident, suspicious yet simple, husband very well. Kay Kay Menon shines as Veena's friend - he does a great job as the free spirited slick Akash. The best part of the film is the down to earth locale of the city of Lucknow. The University, Hazratganj, the residential colonies, the teeming traffic - this is a slice of ordinary life rarely seen in films. Music is divine - I will have to watch out for more music by Sanjay Jaipurwale. The outstanding numbers are the Ghazal 'Guncha Koi Mere Naam Kar Diya, Saki Ne Phir Se Mera Jaam Bhar Diya', and 'Doob Jaana Re".

Watch it if you want to see an authentic setting framing a great story about real people. You will not be disappointed!

I am usually quite skeptical about the new bollywood movies because there is nothing much except flashing naked bodies, senseless songs, silly dialogs and stale story line in them. However, occasionally Bollywood does churn out some jewels. This is one of them and this one took my heart. The story? Is very simple, I almost knew the ending but I was still urged to watch it all. Why? I don't know why! But what I know is that the movie captures the life of a typical Indian middle-class family and puts it on the screen in the most subtle way. Especially those sensitive moments are portrayed in the most beautiful manner. For example, when Mithilesh (played by Rajpal Yadav) meets his to be wife for the first time, you can feel the tingling sensation within – i.e., the same sensation when you 'saw' your spouse for the first time before marriage. The story is so down-to-earth and close to real-life that you feel 'living' through it.

Highly recommended! Kudos to the people who made it! A sure buy for my DVD collection to support such performances in the future.

In the era of escapist cinema, a film about the trials of a common man is like a whiff of fresh air. The movie largely relies on its simplicity which the audience instantly connects with. All the more if the protagonist is an overbearing and possessive husband it adds a different layer into the story.

Rajpal Yadav:: Seriously nobody else could have reprised this role more effectively. In the early years, perhaps the role could be equated to Amol Palekar or Farooq Sheikh. The way he portrays his low self-esteem is indeed commendable.

Rituparna Sengupta:: She carries herself with so much grace and beauty that you develop an instant liking for her. No wonder the husband becomes protective of this beauty. Pity, she couldn't capitalise on the success of this film and move forward in Bollywood.

Kay Kay:: This powerhouse of talent needs no words to describe his performance. Simply, spot on.

Varun Badola and Vinod Nagpal:: Nice to see TV artists on big frame. Performance-wise, quite adequate.

Special mention about the "Guncha" song by Mohit Chauhan. Very soothing, yet soulful lyrics.

Ideally, this movie could be termed as a ode' to Basu Chatterjee's and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's body of work.

Finally, Chandan Arora deserves a pat on his back. Pity, there has been no significant news in terms of his directorial ventures.

That's not exactly what 'Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh' is asking but it's more or less what a young insecure librarian, Mithilesh Shukla ruminates. 'Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh' is a charming little movie. What really appealed to me about it is the way the comedy and drama have been intertwined and yet it manages to remain real, simple and down to earth without being over the top or sugarcoated. It really indicates how many young men with low self esteem (especially those insecure about their physical features) perceive themselves and people in their surroundings.

Rajpal Yadav fits Mithilesh Shukla like a glove. He delivers a very sincere performance. We see the film from his point of view. But, as a result of this the two other main characters suffer (because we don't know much about them). I would have liked to see more of Akash and Veena. The luminous Rituparna Sengupta is a complete delight to watch and she obviously chose a good film as a comeback to Hindi cinema. Kay Kay Menon is excellent as always, even in his brief role.

The songs are relegated to the background and flow well with the screenplay. Lucknow is filmed beautifully. Thanks to Chandan Arora and Ashok Khanna for telling us this story in a simple (but not boring), sweet (but not sugary) and real (but not documentary) way. A must watch especially for those looking for something a fun and a little deep but not overwhelming.