Karthik Calling Karthik (2010)

Saw this in a theatre when it released in 2010. Was discussing with my friends how most of the Bollywood psychological drama/thrillers r basically not at all original. This name came up n when I told my friends about this film being heavily borrowed from Adam Green's Spiral, I thought about writing a review of it. Inspite of it being borrowed, this film is a good one time watch n it is heavily saved by Farhan Akhtar. There's something weird about the lead character in Karthik calling Karthik played awesomely by Farhan. It's easy to feel sorry for him. Farhan gave a memorable performance in the role of a deeply disturbed and secretive individual. Much better than Moore from Spiral. Fellas who havent seen Spiral will definitely enjoy the twist. This film is more of a psychological drama.

I watched the movie on DVD and I fast-forwarded at least 30 minutes. Someone earlier commented that it is an excellent musical romantic thriller! What genre is that? It doesn't matter if you had actually planned to make an edge-of-the-seat thriller, the India film industry feels the need to throw in romance and a couple of songs to attract viewers. I had hoped things would change after Ram Gopal Varma's Kaun but looks like we still need to wait.The acting is mediocre at best and direction techniques have been ripped off from movies ranging from "Gladiator" to "Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels"

Farhan Akhtar stars as Karthik, a young square man who blames himself for his elder brother's death at childhood and who lives a very unsocial life, working at a big company where he has to bear his boss' daily humiliations, while Shonali, the girl he is interested in does not even know of his existence. One day, he gets a phone call and the caller surprisingly identifies himself as none other than Karthik himself. From then on, things change for the better for Karthik. Nightly calls from this very person consist of constant positive advices of how to run his life and different encouragements, and consequently Karthik turns into an altogether different person, much more secure, happy and easy-going. He finally catches the eye of Shonali. Things seem perfect, but the story takes an unexpected twist.That's Vijay Lalwani's directorial debut, Karthik Calling Karthik, which is for the most part a successful psychological thriller. The best thing about it is the fact that it's not superficial. It has some hidden sentimentality and it gives the viewer an insight into the complexity of the human mind. Though at times the film is a bit too slow, the story is generally well written and narrated, and the subject is handled quite well. The film does manage to be as disturbing as it probably intends to be at some points, and in other moments it is uplifting as it shows us how a person can build his happiness on his own, using his imagination and inner feelings.The film's first half is for the most part a romance, and unfortunately an overly simplistic and boring one. The main concept and the mysterious phone calls get somewhat sidelined in this part until the story takes shape and becomes more intriguing and watchable in the second half. The film is benefited, however, by a great soundtrack by the reigning trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The songs are nice though not always do they suit the film's proceedings, and sometimes it feels like they stretch the narrative to no end. But then the film turns in a rather interesting way, and the viewer gets ready to get all the answers to his questions, of which he may have already forgotten. The suspense in the second half is well done. The film becomes thrilling and remains continuously unpredictable. The acting in Kathik Calling Karthik may not be exemplary, but it is definitely effective. Farhan Akhtar is the tormented hero. He is good at some points and one may feel for him at times, but as the insecure guy he is quite unnatural. This is not entirely his fault. His character's transformation was too quick to be believable anyway, so it's the writers who are to be blamed for this. Deepika Padukone is okay and though she evidently tries to do her best, she does not really succeed in delivering the confusion her character must be going through and her dialogue delivery is weak at points. Shefali Shah appears in a smaller role as Karthik's psychiatrist, and she is outstanding as expected.All said and done, Karthik Calling Karthik is entertaining, gripping and enjoyable. It is a worthy effort with an interesting study of human psyche through such terms as consciousness and subconsciousness. The ending was quite good, though it was not completely satisfying. I suggest you to watch the film with family or friends. It may be serious, but it should not be taken seriously.

The movie starts and ends with a Rubik's cube..You may wonder why? Well you have to go and watch yourself what it takes for a movie to be totally astonishing..It is a 120 minutes movie but seems like 120 secs..The debutant director Lalwani has done a great job..He has not let the 'suspense' element spill out till the last minute..You start wondering where the movie is heading , but at last you can easily arrange the puzzle's pieces..He needs a applaud for doing the job..Farhan is excellent in looks and acting..He is a simple guy who is satisfied with his life..He doesn't have a mobile phone in this 21st century..He has to be contacted only through land line..This is the soul of the movie..Works for a real estate agency in Mumbai..He likes a gorgeous girl in his office , but is unable to express his love to her..So he just types a email daily and saves it to draft..Every one in the office utilize his 'modesty' to extract a lot of work from him in which he is perfect..But no one respects him..It eats his confidence bit by bit ..Finally one day he breaks..He comes home and throws the land line in despair and it is shattered..So he purchases a new land line set..This changes his life forever..Watch the movie for the suspense element..Enough of spoilers for now..Deepika Padukone is as charming as ever..She fits in the role to the maximum..Her 'attire' needs a special mention..Music through out the movie is superb..You will be completely indulged in it..Cinematography is excellent..So is the art direction..The apartments and the interiors of the residence are mind blowing..If you want to watch a Bollywood flick with a classic taste then this is the one for you..