movie review : Karthik Calling Karthik (2010)

Good entertainment. I look for just that.

Excel Entertainment is back again and their most dependable crew member Farhan Akhtar is the lead. With their last release Luck By Chance also having a strong script and storyline, they never disappoint.

Psychological thrillers are seldom made in bollywood, because not everyone can make one. The last movie on the same lines was Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Vidya Balan did take her role seriously. This time round its Farhan Akhtar playing the protagonist Karthik Narayan who is suffering from schizophrenia.

The story begins with our introduction of Karthik as someone who is considered a loser by practically everyone around whom his everyday life revolves. Be it his landlord, his boss (Ram Kapoor is decent) or his to-be girlfriend. Deepika Padukone plays Shonali Mukherjee who shares the same workplace as Karthik and is like any ordinary girl. We are made to go through the ordeal which Karthik has to put up with, including the fact that he likes Shonali and she has not even noticed him around for almost 4 years. Left with no option, he decides to commit suicide when a phone call comes to the rescue of this loner.

Post each of his conversations with the voice on the other end of the phone, there is a much needed change in his life. He transforms into a confident Karthik ready to take on anything or rather anyone. Whether it is making the same rude boss respect his work or being the reason for Shonali‘s breakup with her ex and ofcourse being her man. He becomes dependent on the calls considering the voice as that of his well-wisher and listens to everything the voice has to say. Trouble brews when against the wishes of the supposed well-wisher he shares this secret with Shonali. Things turn upside down and everything starts working against him. He loses his girlfriend, his job and all his savings. As can be figured out the last hour tells us how exactly these phone calls are tackled. Is it really him or is it just his imagination ? What is it that he needs to do for a normal life sans those calls ?

The film picks up pace post-interval as the plot begins to answer questions. Debutante Vijay Lalwani tells us the story in a away where we do not get bored. I say that because this subject could have become an unintelligent attempt at storytelling had it not been treated right. The love story has been depicted very honestly. Lalwani is also the brain behind those witty dialogues as the movie would not have felt the same without them.

Farhan Akhtar has carried this film on his own and i see a fine actor in the making. The heart-rending scene where he breaks down telling his girl about his intentions in the relationship is above par. With each movie Deepika Padukone is getting better – acting as well as choosing scripts, and I need to mention how gorgeous she looks in this particular one. Shefali Shah plays a psychiatrist trying to help Karthik. Considering her filmography this role must have been a cake-walk.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy along with Javed Akhtar produce some fine numbers but not something that has not been heard before. Background score has been done by Midival Punditz and Karsh Kale, and is average. In a thriller background score matters and here its not impressive enough. Technicality very much makes up for it.

I would recommend you to take this call as fresh film-makers like these should be encouraged. As far as bollywood is concerned, Vijay has arrived again and this time he says “mere paas talent hai. hain”.

Rating : 3.5/5

also read :

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