Karthik Calling Karthik

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 26th Feb, 2010
Time : 155 minutes
Director & Writer : Vijay Lalwani; Music : Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Starring : Farhan Akhtar, Deepika Padukone, Shifaali Shah, Ram Kapoor, Vipin Sharma, Vivan BhatenaAm trying unsuccessfully to think of any other art form (apart from books), where a bad ending can spoil the entire performance. Coz that’s what happened here. Very good performances from foxy Farhan & the delectably dimpled Deepika and some excellent humour gets almost completely wiped out by an end that makes you feel limp as you walk out of the hall.


Karthik (Farhan) is a loser. Tormented by guilt over his brothers death when he was a kid. Stuck in a demeaning job under a demanding, abusive boss. Hounded by his landlord. Unable to even tell Shonali (Deepkia), who works in the same office, what he feels for her (he’s written hundreds of emails to her but they’re all in the drafts folder). In fact, she doesn’t even know that he exists. Then, one day, when things around him seem to have reached their nadir, he gets a phone call.


The caller claims he is also Karthik. Has the same voice. Knows his innermost secrets. And promises to help turn things around. And he does. He injects confidence into Karthik, changes his look, instils in him a jaunty swagger. And makes him successful in his job, with the landlord and also with Shonali. The caller calls everyday at 5am. Asks for nothing. But there is one condition – Karthik shouldn’t tell anyone else about the call. But Deepika doesn’t want any secrets in their relationship. Who is the caller ? What will happen ?


The lead pair and the sense of humour is what keeps you glued to the screen, for the highly enjoyable first half anyways. Farhan alternates between wimpish doormat and a cavalier, confident character with ease. Deepika has never looked as lovely and yet so accessible – no dolling up here, no Armani’s – just a very good looking girl who works in your office. And just wants a guy who’ll be straight with her. Both seem to have fun with each other too – their sense of humour exemplified by the way he asks her out for coffee (the best one being the wada pao message on the photocopier – wish I’d thought of that in my courting days) or how she responds when asked ‘yeh kya hai’ after one drink too many. Both manage to keep a straight face consistently so it adds to the fun.


Farhan & Riteish’s (the producers) movies always have good music and excellent contemporary styling and this one is no exception, a v nice background score being hummable and enjoyable while the transformed Farhan gets this really cool pad, threads and office.


I wish they’d thought of another, less predictable, more innovative and less flawed ending (my wife actually came up with one that wasn’t too bad). I wish when we walked out of the hall we did so peppy, upbeat like most of the first half. I also found an issue with the transformation of Farhan – I found it too easy. Life never is. And a sense of humour can be the toughest thing to acquire. Yet Farhan seems to acquire it almost magically. I wish the message of the film had not got confused and instead had been ‘stand up for yourself’. As someone in the hall sniggered at the end ‘moral of the story : never tell women the truth’. The film brought this upon itself.