Of late, there has been a realization in Hindi cinema, that characters that offer the best challenges to actors and film makers, are those that are real, afflicted or depraved as compared to the pristine, milk-washed and the nectar-drunk. In ‘Karthik calling Karthik’, we see a gripping psychological drama, a tickler of the senses that whispers in your ear every now and then, ‘hey, do you remember how you felt when this happened to you?’
Set in dingy claustrophobic office spaces, in dark and grim apartments, the film debates the struggle of a man to find his place in the world and explores the darkness of his inner space. A darkness that sees him alone, struggling to cope with the ride that he is being taken for, suffocated due to his inability to be accepted and rewarded justly, holding on to a desire, albeit unstated to express his love to a beautiful woman. The voice on the other end of the phone that saves him sounds like him. He lets that voice in, lets it guide him through the darkness. It does seem that he is being led into light. Would it be real or was it just a glimpse of a better life through a spark?
The film starts out with a series of stills, which I thought was a very innovative approach. It was like a synopsis of the film, a bit like a graphic strip being shown before the film. The screenplay is very tight and the plot and canvas simple. You know his problem in 5 minutes! The pace is sustained and the viewer is confounded, so much so that you think the story is full of holes, until you realize that it is not. The second twist in the screenplay is something that you won’t expect. Hallmark of a story well told. It does however raise some logical questions like; can your mind not sense where you are, even if your eyes and ears are closed? Barring this, kudos to the writer and director, Vijay Lalwani.
Farhan Akhtar is a mature actor. He has the innocence and the foxiness. He is slimy and he is sweet. He blends in and switches effortlessly. His weakness is his voice. But, in this film, he has moved up a couple of notches over Rock On and Luck by Chance. He is here to stay as an actor. Deepika Padukone is five stars in the looks and styling department but is not much of an actor. Ram Kapoor as Karthik’s ‘Hari Sadoo’ style boss gets noticed. He can be a powerful and intense actor. I wonder why he dons that sherwani and tries to get people married on TV!!
‘Karthik calling Karthik’ is a slice of life. Don’t expect a piece of pie though.