India, May 15 -- Comedy is serious business. In an era of reels and instant gratification, I often find myself laughing harder at one-minute Instagram gags than most full-length films manage to. Which is why it feels heartening when a film arrives that understands a simple truth: good actors can't save a weak script, and a sharp script means little without the right performers. Pati, Patni Aur Woh Do (PPAWD) gets both the departments right.

Mudassar Aziz, after the equally entertaining Khel Khel Mein, is back in form as a director. Set in Prayagraj, the story revolves around Prajapati (Ayushmann Khurrana), a forest department official. Married to journalist Aparna (Wamiqa Gabbi), he agrees to help his friend Chanchal (Sara Ali Khan) elop...