Varun Sharma
Rajesh Khanna
Wild Wild Punjab
“The whackiest break-up trip ever”
2024
1h 51m
Director: Simarpreet Singh
Overview
Four friends road-trip across Punjab to help one of them get over an ex-girlfriend, but are quickly caught in a fiasco like no other.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Road to Nowhere: How Wild Wild Punjab Lost Its Way in the Comedy Wilderness
I’ll admit it: I went into Wild Wild Punjab with low expectations. Not because I’m a snob about Bollywood comedies—some of my favorite films are the ones that make me snort-laugh into my popcorn—but because the trailers promised something I’ve seen too many times before. Four bros, a breakup, a road trip, and a series of increasingly absurd misadventures.
The formula isn’t inherently bad, but when it’s executed without wit, heart, or even basic self-awareness, it becomes a slog. And that’s exactly what Wild Wild Punjab is: a slog dressed up in vibrant colors and loud music, like a party where no one bothered to invite the fun.
The film follows Rajesh Khanna (Varun Sharma), a man so devastated by his breakup that his friends—Maan (Sunny Singh), Gaurav (Jassie Gill), and Honey (Manjot Singh)—decide the only cure is a road trip from Patiala to Pathankot to gatecrash his ex-girlfriend’s wedding. It’s a premise that could work if the journey felt like anything more than a series of contrived set pieces. But from the moment the friends pile into their car, the film’s lack of originality becomes glaring.
The jokes land with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, the characters are little more than caricatures, and the emotional beats feel as hollow as the laughter they’re supposed to elicit.
Take the opening scene, where Rajesh mopes around his apartment like a lost puppy. It’s played for laughs, but there’s something unsettling about the way the film treats his heartbreak as a punchline. His friends’ solution—to drag him on a chaotic, alcohol-fueled trip—isn’t just unoriginal; it’s actively regressive.
The message seems to be that the only way to get over a woman is to drown your sorrows in booze and bad decisions, preferably with your bros by your side. It’s the kind of thinking that would’ve felt tired in The Hangover (2009), let alone 15 years later.
The director, Simarpreet Singh, is a debutant, and it shows—not in the way you might expect from a first-time filmmaker, but in the way he leans so heavily on the tropes of the genre that he forgets to bring anything new to the table. The film’s visual style is loud and kinetic, with music video-style cuts and bright, saturated colors that feel like they’re trying to distract you from the thinness of the script.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsInside the Chaos and Controversy of Wild Wild Punjab
Netflix’s latest Bollywood comedy, Wild Wild Punjab, has arrived with a bang—or at least, that’s what its creators hoped. Directed by Simarpreet Singh and packed with a cast of familiar faces, the film promised a rowdy, heartbreak-fueled road trip through Punjab. Instead, it’s sparked debates about tired formulas, casual sexism, latestnetflix.com maintains, and whether bromance comedies have run their course. Here’s what’s really going on behind the scenes.
A Breakup Movie Stuck in Reverse
Wild Wild Punjab follows Khanna (Varun Sharma), a heartbroken man whose friends—played by Sunny Singh, Jassie Gill, and Manjot Singh—drag him on a wild trip to help him "move on." The premise sounds like a mashup of The Hangover and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, but critics say it’s more of the same old song. Reviews call it "outdated" 
and "marred by misogyny" , with one outlet bluntly declaring, "We're so over this kind of breakup movie" .
The film’s biggest sin? Relying on a formula that worked a decade ago. News18 notes that while the Punjab setting adds local flavor, the story "runs on the same outdated formula" as Hangover and Bachelor’s Night . Even the director’s defense—that the sexism wasn’t intentional—hasn’t stopped audiences from calling out its casual stereotypes .
The Cast’s Bromance vs. the Backlash
The chemistry between Varun Sharma, Sunny Singh, and Manjot Singh is the film’s strongest selling point. Sharma, known for his Fukrey roles, and Singh, fresh off Ujda Chaman, bring their signature comedic timing, while Jassie Gill’s presence adds star power. But not even their on-screen camaraderie could save the movie from criticism.
Patralekhaa and Ishita Raj Sharma, the film’s leading women, have little to do beyond playing love interests or punchlines. News18’s review slams the film for reducing female characters to "props in a boys’ adventure," a complaint that’s become all too common in Bollywood comedies . The director’s response—that he didn’t set out to be sexist—has done little to quiet the backlash .
Netflix’s Gamble on a Fading Genre
Wild Wild Punjab is the latest in a string of Netflix India originals betting on star-driven comedies. But with mixed reviews and accusations of tone-deaf writing, the platform might be rethinking its strategy. The film’s Wikipedia page lists it as a "comedy" , but critics argue it’s more cringe than laugh-out-loud .
The real question: Can a bromance comedy survive in 2024 without evolving? With audiences growing tired of the same old tropes, Wild Wild Punjab might be a sign that the genre needs a serious reboot—or a mercy retirement.
What’s Next for the Cast?
For the actors, the film’s reception is a mixed bag. Varun Sharma and Sunny Singh remain bankable stars, but their next projects will determine if they can shake off the Wild Wild Punjab backlash. Jassie Gill, meanwhile, has been riding high on his music career, so a box-office flop might not hurt him much.
As for director Simarpreet Singh, this isn’t the debut he likely envisioned. His next move will be crucial—will he double down on the same formula or pivot to something fresher?
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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