‘Jai Mummy Di’ looks like an outlaw comedy about in-laws

The just-out trailer of Jai Mummy Di is fun, if for no other reason then for simply putting two senior actresses at the forefront. I can’t remember any Hindi rom-com before Jai Mummy Di focusing on two warring mothers-in-law, or rather future mothers-in-law constantly at loggerheads.

While Supriya Pathak is ‘safe’ casting—she has a proven track record of accomplished performances playing cranky characters—casting Poonam Dhillon is a bit of a surprise. Her comic timing has never been explored before. She seems to be doing fine in the trailer exploring the sassy Saas territory while giving the indomitable Mrs Pathak a run for her money.

The combative scenes between the two actresses seem well-aimed and the writing crackles with the lowbrow low blows that loud ladies are often known to throw at each other. There is a dig about Manish Malhotra’s clothes and that gives the goings-on a feeling of familiarity. It’s good to see Sunny Singh and Sonali Saigal, two of producer Luv Ranjan’s less successful protégés than Kartik Aryan, together as the progenies of the two warring mothers.

Says Luv Ranjan, “Every actor has his or her own destiny. As for Jai Mummy Di it is entirely Navjot Gulati’s baby. He came to me with the idea. I liked it and I agreed to produce it.”

Ranjan feels as a producer he has a long way to go. “As a director or an actor you can come into instant recognition. But a producer has to have a proven track record of successful films before he can be called a successful producer. I think I am in the process of getting there.”