Karthik Calling Karthik (2010)

Expected more

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

My first word of appreciation is for Farhan Akhtar whose films Rock On!!!, Luck by Chance, and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag made me respect him. This is the fourth movie of his as an actor for me, and I salute his intellectual choices. The best aspects about his films is that they are far from the usual masala fare,make a whole lot of sense, and are very relatable.So, the movie starts with poor Karthik being bullied by all sorts of people. And that made me connect instantly. Farhan really brought the character to life, and gave such a realistic feel to it. The movie goes on to depict a little of Farhan's past, which totally convinced me, and his fears in the present owing to his past. Farhan's rise to success was engaging too, and I know I'm repeating myself, but nothing was overstated.For me, the best films are the simplest ones. And this movie does not engage in any kind of complexity. Every subplot is neatly explained, leaving no room for confusion.On the flipside, yes, initially I felt that the romance was a little unnecessary like many others have said. But it worked out so well in the climax. I loved the positive ending, the fact that Shonali was so sensitive to Karthik, and that the film did complete justice to a person representing the mentally disturbed. He was given a second chance in the film, and there was no twist in the end, simply for the heck of thrill. A very sensitive approach by the writer-director.I was disappointed to find that this film did not win any notable awards in its year-2010-when very undeserving films with loud comedy, and unnecessary violence & gore took away all the attention. Awards and popular opinions encourage a certain breed of films, and films like Karthik Calling Karthik deserve much more.I'm a loyal fan of Farhan now.

The basic premise of KCK is indeed novel and the entire team should be lauded for defying the run-out-of-mill formula and having the conviction to come up with something real hatke! The premise has strong potential of a gripping psychological thriller albeit for the reader audience. Lets accept it, owing to the visual limitations certain aspects of the plot cannot be effectively translated to screen and potentially the seams tends to give away. I am sure the intent was to make make the audience jump out of the seat and say "Whoa! Where did that come from?" (read that "The Sixth Sense" effect). The Indian audience over period of time have been exposed to plots dealing with twist endings. In that respect the ending was sort of coming (atleast for me). Had KCK was made about a decade ago it would have made dent in the audience's mind. Performances::Ø Farhan Akhtar is spot-on in both Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. The transformation to the suave Mr. Karthik was albeit a bit too quick.Ø Deepika has a strong presence. She appears quite tall to Farhan but that's pardonable. Her lifestyle reflects the urban life we are living in. And gone are the days where the girl used to bin the cigarette, its boy turn to take vengeance.Ø Ram Kapoor was well suited to don the Indian Boss.Ø Yatin Karyekar had a short but effective role.Ø Shefali Shetty was an unwarranted character in the movie. Introducing this segment actually starts the thought process of playing devil's advocate.Songs deserve a special mention. KCK have a few awesome number, thanks to SEL. Lyrics to Javed Akhtar carry a nexgen feel.Verdict: Okay for one-time watch. And I am sure it has garnered substantial multiplex audience.

A kind of movie that keeps you glued to the seats, and keeps u wondering for what would happen next.Nice movie, excellent direction and portrayal of angle's. Definitely have to appreciate the director and team for a good movie far from typical bollywood crap item songs, crap scenes, etc.If u really enjoy movies that would thrill you, it is indeed a must watch. It is a movie that you have to watch frame by frame.i guess people who didn't like it skipped scenes hopping to see some action and fights. I guess.Hats off team

A timid guy Karthik who is been bullied all his life finds himself a loser in his job, social and love life.Frequent meetings with a psychiatrist(Shefali) also fail to help.When things get completely out of hand, he attempts suicide.He gets an anonymous call(who claims he is also Karthik) right at that time, with tips to change his life. As time progresses he becomes a winner in all aspects of life but becomes heavily dependent on the early morning calls from the other karthik.When his new found girlfriend Shonali(Deepika) insists that he keep no secrets, he is forced to reveal about the other Karthik. From now on the plot gets sinister as both Shonali and the psychiatrist try to stop him taking these calls and get help. I would have a given a lower score but there are seriously creepy moments in the film. But there are too many holes for example Karthik is supposedly a CA and IIM topper.You cannot get into IIM if you are that low on confidence, they look for leadership material.His parents never seem to care, wouldn't you care if your son mysteriously disappears for months. And why would a great looking girl like deepika fall for a vey ordinary Farhan and seek him even after his extremely weird behaviour.I will not mention more as that would completely reveal the anyway predictable plot. The suspense is very predictable and director never cares to explain the root cause of Karthik's behaviour. Farhan please stick to direction, you are seriously lacking in looks and an average actor.