Karthik Calling Karthik (2010)

Director: Vijay Lalwani

Story: Vijay Lalwani

Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Deepika Padukone

Music: Shankar-Eshaan-Loy

Time: 124 minutes

Bottom-line: Fast-paced and thrilling, with a disappointing climax

Having heard the name and story of the film in passing, I finally got to watch this psychological thriller, Karthik Calling Karthik. Like many other thrillers, the film starts off high and goes uphill, but the climax sends everything crashing. The film deals with just three (or should I say four??) characters, played by Farhan Akhtar, Deepika Padukone and Shefali Shah.

Karthik (Akhtar) is a silent, introverted man, afraid to stand up for himself, and being picked on by everyone. He is constantly traumatised by the memory of his childhood where his brother accidentally drowns in a well and Karthik blames himself for it. Karthik is in love with Shonali (Padukone), a co-worker who doesn’t know he exists. After he gets fired, Karthik decides that it is the last straw, and is about to take an overdose of sleeping pills when he gets a call. The caller is also named Karthik…in fact, it is himself! He seems to know everything from his personal problems to bank pin number and even others’ secrets. From that day on, every morning at 5 am, Karthik gets a call, giving him advice, in return for secrecy of his existence. Karthik’s life soon becomes exciting again… until the caller gets angry when Karthik breaks the secret…

 

Akhtar as Karthik

The film draws concepts from many other films I have seen before: an “invisible friend” like that in Chamatkar or Mr. India, some concepts from Inception and psychiatry-related stuff. The story follows the typical Indian melodrama theme: simple hero, everything goes downhill, then a sudden stroke of luck, he rises up again, then is at the peak of his life, then something goes wrong again. Many aspects of the story are predictable, and in fact the truth behind the mysterious caller is pretty much the only thing that keeps you in your seat – they could have well cut out the songs… would have made the wait less agonising. The ending is, in a way, obvious and in a way, different. It’s not entirely logical, but I was expecting something more interesting! 

Padukone as Shonali

The acting however, is commendable, especially that of Akhtar. Although I felt his character transition – from the timid person lacking self-confidence to someone who even blackmails his co-worker and landlord – a bit too sudden, I was amazed the way he plays both extremes equally well. His character is what makes the film interesting to some extent… and I like the way he “hides his own identity” towards the second half of the film. Deepika Padukone plays the role of the “hot girl that everyone wants” – that pitiable girl who has been in messed up relationships before the hero comes along and impresses her by proving that he is “not like the other guys”. That just adds to the list of clichéd themes used in the film.

A few plot holes and clichés apart, the film provides a fairly fast-paced entertaining story. The ending is debatable… but seems logical (although I cannot comment on the authenticity of whatever the psychiatrist says about the mind) but somehow more nonsensical the more I think about it. It’s one of those “time-pass” movies; go with an open mind.

My Rating: 2.5/5