In Wild Wild Punjab, four friends go on an impromptu road trip that quickly gets out of hand as they find themselves in bizarre situations. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Rajesh Khanna recently had his heart broken by his girlfriend, Vaishali, who cheated on him with their boss and is now marrying him.
Maan Arora, one of his best friends, decides to take him on a trip to help him forget about his ex-girlfriend. All he needs is a car for his plan to succeed.
Gaurav Jain, the third friend in their group, is reluctant to join them. Jain is getting married in a week and fears doing anything that his father will disapprove of.
Arora then involves a friend named Honey Singh, who suggests that they take Khanna to Vaishali’s wedding and make him tell her that he is over her.
Once Honey agrees to take them to Vaishali’s wedding in Pathankot in his beloved car, Paro, Arora convinces Jain to go with them.
Thus begins a road trip full of unexpected adventures and mishaps that the four friends never imagined.
Performances
While Sunny Singh, Varun Sharma, Jassie Gill, and Patralekha Paul gave convincing performances, there was nothing extraordinary about their acting.
The actors are not entirely to blame, as they played clichéd characters and the script did not give them much space to do anything impressive.
Ishita Raj Sharma’s Meera is not very unique either, and the actor’s performance remains subpar. On the other hand, Rajesh Sharma only plays a minor role but performs his part well.
The one actor who stands out is Manjot Singh, thanks to his charisma and vitality. He effortlessly embodies the role of Honey and makes the character his own.
Positives
Most of the characters in the film are stock characters who fail to impress. Honey’s character is the only one who manages to hold the audience’s attention.
Although Honey is not too complex and layered, which the audience anyway does not expect to see in a comedy film like this one, he is interesting and certainly the most likable.
The film features several scenes involving guns, yet it successfully controls the narrative to depict these moments as comic rather than violent, even when characters get shot.
Negatives
Although the film follows the adventures of four friends, none of the scenes meant to depict their bond or its development leave a lasting impact, depriving the film of any emotional depth.
Similarly, their misadventures are unremarkable. Despite being chaotic, much like those in films like The Hangover, they fail to make the audience laugh.
Some plot points, such as a character getting drugged, seem added merely to create more chaos but feel unnecessary and do not contribute meaningfully to the scenes.
Furthermore, the film contains noticeable sexism. There is a clear distinction between good and bad women, which is even reflected in their costumes.
Women adhering to established societal norms, like Radha, are portrayed as good and obedient, accepting a complete stranger as their husband without question.
In contrast, modern and independent women like Vaishali and Meera are bad and selfish, not caring about others’ feelings or safety.
The ending scene is not as cathartic as intended, as it relies on the humiliation of a character portrayed as excessively selfish, which makes the character’s actions seem unrealistic.
Every conflict receives an easy resolution, and those that do not, such as Jain’s impending confrontation with his father, are conveniently forgotten.
Verdict
Wild Wild Punjab does not have much to offer with its insipid characters and plot. There are certainly better comedy films than this one.