Imagine a couple who share everything—utensils, electric bills, mortgage payments, even a bed—but there’s no love left. They stay together out of habit, forgetting they once shared a deep love. This is exactly what happened to Kavya (portrayed by Vidya Balan) and Ani (played by Pratik Gandhi) in the film Do Aur Do Pyaar. They were married for 12 years and had been in a relationship for three years before that. However, after 15 years together, their love seemed to have faded. Both Kavya and Ani find themselves in affairs without the other’s knowledge. Ani is involved with Nora (played by Ileana D’Cruz), while Kavya has feelings for Vikram (played by Sendhil Ramamurthy). But is the love completely gone between Kavya and Ani? The film takes us on a journey where circumstances force them to spend time together after so long. For a love that has lasted this long and was once so pure, there must be some feelings left, right? They won’t discover it unless they give it a chance. The big question: will they give their relationship another shot? What will happen to their marriage? We’ll find out all the answers in Do Aur Do Pyaar‘s explainer.
Spoilers Ahead
What made Ani and Kavya postpone their breakup?
First, let’s get to know the characters a bit better. Ani, a businessman, took over his father’s cork company after his father passed away. He took on the responsibility of caring for his sister, mother, and, of course, his wife, Kavya. However, Kavya didn’t really need anyone to take care of her. At least, that’s what she liked to pretend. She was an independent woman, shaped by a strict Tamil family that showed her tough love which made her stronger. She worked as a dentist at a clinic in Mumbai. Ani and Kavya had been married for twelve years and had known each other for fifteen years, since their college days. They were once madly in love, so much so that they eloped and got married without their families because they knew their families would be against it. They were so sure about each other that they never questioned their decision. But after all these years, things had changed. Even though they lived in the same house and shared everything, they stopped talking to each other. They no longer fought and no longer communicated, except for basic necessities like asking about eye medicine or what to have for dinner. They had just stopped to care about each other.
Meanwhile, Kavya had started an affair with Vikram, a renowned photographer who had traveled the world. Vikram, who had lived like a vagabond all his life, felt he had found his home in Kavya. She, too, felt the same because Vikram gave her the love and attention she craved for so long. They thought of buying a house by the Mumbai beach. They would paint the walls blue and fill it with Vikram’s paintings- that was their dream. But there was one problem—Kavya was still married. Even though Vikram pushed her to talk to a lawyer and get a divorce, Kavya hesitated. She felt guilty, thinking it was her fault their marriage had failed because she believed Ani would never cheat on her. She thought she had stopped putting effort into their relationship and fell in love with someone else. Out of guilt, she couldn’t bring herself to be heartless and send him the divorce papers. Little did she know that Ani was also in a relationship with Nora, a struggling actress. Nora was beautiful and childish, and Ani felt needed by her. Nora made Ani feel special, planning movie dates and celebrating their anniversaries together, unlike Kavya, who always nags him about his mistakes. I feel, unknowingly, that Ani compared the two women, wanting to feel guilt-free about falling in love with someone else. Nora, however, pushed Ani to come clean about his relationship and end his marriage. Ani tried to do exactly that. He planned to confess to Kavya, even bringing flowers to soften the blow. But then he heard the news that Kavya’s grandfather had passed away and she needed to go to Ooty for the funeral. Surprisingly, Ani offered to go with her. Maybe he wanted to delay his confession a bit longer, or maybe he didn’t want to burden Kavya with more sad news during such a difficult time. Perhaps he just wanted to be with her. So, they decided to go to Ooty together.
What happened during their time at Ooty?
So, after all these years, Kavya and Ani found themselves in Ooty, where their love story began. As they drove through the lush green mountains, passing by Hotel Elephanta, reminded them of the stories of their daring love life. They reminisced about their crazy times together, remembering how deeply in love they were. It was here, at Hotel Elephanta, where they had hidden and got married. Kavya, being the drunk driver, had hit the lamppost in front of the hotel after they eloped. Those were the days—they were young and passionately in love. Upon entering their family home, they naturally faced their relatives’ judgment. After all, they had shamed their families by eloping. How dare they show their faces now? Ani still felt the weight of Kavya’s father’s disapproval, even after all these years. Kavya’s father was strict and had never quite forgiven Ani for taking Kavya away from her family, especially since Ani ran a mere cork business, which was not highly regarded. But Kavya stood by Ani, defending him proudly and saying how dedicated he was to the business.
When her father criticized Kavya for not pursuing a career as a doctor, Ani defended Kavya, pointing out her commitment as a dentist and even sharing her achievement in treating the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. This showed one thing: that despite drifting apart, they were still each other’s shields and ready to defend one another against anyone. Maybe there were still emotions left between them after all. Maybe they hadn’t stopped caring completely. This became clearer when they went to the Hotel Elephanta to reminisce about their past, remembering their drunken dances and stolen moments together. They realized how much they missed laughing together and spending time in each other’s company. After their night of secret rendezvous and reminiscing, they kissed each other passionately after so long when they returned home—a kiss that reignited the spark that had faded over the years. Perhaps there was a chance for them to mend their relationship after all. They were glad they hadn’t rushed to confess and break up because they realized they still had feelings for each other that they thought had faded away.
What happened to their marriage at the end?
But as they say, once the glass is broken, there’s still a visible scar, even if you try to fix it. After returning from Ooty, Kavya and Ani started spending more time together. They began canceling plans with Nora and Vikram, making up excuses to be with each other instead. It felt like the roles had reversed—despite being married, it seemed like they were the ones having an affair with each other. Kavya, who had become a vegan for Vikram’s sake, started eating chicken 65 again and realized she had pretended to love things she didn’t truly care about. Maybe she had just transferred her need for attention and affection, which she missed from her own husband, onto someone else who was willing to give it. So, when Vikram painted their Mumbai house blue and handed Kavya the keys to start a new life together as a couple, she was unsure and confused about what to do. Meanwhile, Nora grew restless. Why wouldn’t she? Ani had been avoiding her, not picking up her calls, and did not want to meet her. Actually, Ani thought he loved both women and couldn’t decide whom to break up with because he didn’t want to hurt anyone. Then one day, Nora visited Kavya’s clinic out of disappointment and warned her that Ani would leave her. She knew Ani wouldn’t come clean, and if things continued like this, she would lose him. You can imagine how Kavya was shattered. After all these years, she had hoped things would get better, but now it seemed they wouldn’t.
Ani eventually confessed that he knew about Kavya’s affair because her broker accidentally called her while he was there. Finally, their hidden truths came to light. They realized they had resented each other for a long time—Ani hated Kavya’s preference for stainless steel, and Kavya disliked Ani’s way of preparing eggplant curry. Their arguments were not just about these small, shallow things. Kavya had decided on an abortion when she was pregnant without discussing it with Ani, even though he wanted to start a family with her. They realized they had both been selfish, hiding things from each other. Maybe they still cared for each other, or maybe they still loved each other, but love alone isn’t always enough. It couldn’t save their relationship. They needed to compromise, but they had both sacrificed so much for each other that they realized separation might be the best option. They didn’t want to end up hating each other. So, they made the tough decision to get divorced. In the end, it was a realization born out of love and respect for each other’s well-being.
After their divorce, Kavya ended things with Vikram, while Ani started dating Nora. But eventually, even Ani and Nora broke up. Now, it’s been a year, and during Diwali, Kavya received a call that their flat had been sold and the money would be split between them. Before saying goodbye to their old place, Kavya decided to visit it one last time. Little did she know, Ani would also show up. After a year apart, they met again. They hadn’t been able to call each other, even though they wanted to. Being back in their old apartment brought back memories. Kavya felt a mix of sadness and happiness, knowing that Ani and Nora had broken up and feeling a bit jealous that Nora’s film was successful.
Ani, on the other hand, was glad to see that Kavya was single again. As they sat together, reminiscing, they ended up having Chicken 65 on the balcony, just like they used to. Could this be the start of a new friendship? Maybe this time, they’ll take it slow and get to know each other better instead of rushing into a relationship. Perhaps this time, even if they date other people, they’ll genuinely wish each other well. After spending most of their lives together, their mutual love and respect won’t fade away that easily, right? After all, it all started with friendship, didn’t it?
