Karthik calling Karthik

The problem with reviewing a film is writing about it without spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it yet. Suspense and twist-in-the-tale stories are therefore a little tricky to write about. And Karthik calling Karthik, especially so, because the twist-in-the-tale seems to be the only hook on which the entire film is hanging from.

Farhan Akhtar plays Karthik a total loser, working in a mundane job. And like the tagline of the film suggests, ‘A call can change everything’, it does. He receives a mysterious phone call early in the morning and it transforms him, literally overnight, into a dude - clothes, attitude and everything. All is well till things start turning a little nasty and Karthik has to figure out how to get his life back in order.

The entire film is dominated by Farhan. He is there in 9 out of 10 frames of the movie and he is absolutely fabulous - whether the loser or the winner. The sudden transformations in him are extremely well executed too. And as usual, an understated performance without overt histrionics. But two scenes stood out for me in particular: The scene in which he breaks down while talking to the mysterious caller and the scene in which he surprises himself at how easily he could assert himself at his workplace.

Deepika Padukone plays the love interest. Initially she seems to be just eye-candy but ends up playing a crucial role in the storyline. Thankfully, her vernacular accent seems to be fading and some semblance of acting can be seen. At this rate, we could probably expect more than just sweet smiles and Bambi-eyes from her in her movies soon.

The film has its moments. It makes you cringe when the loser is getting the shitty end of the stick in his life. It makes you smile when the winner wins. It makes you tense when the telephone bell rings. But it still isn’t in the league of a real psychological thriller which I’m sure it wanted to be or maybe could have been.

The film scored for me when what was seeming predictable was suddenly shot to bits right before the intermission and also in the manner in which the final twist in the end gets unravelled. This makes me think, that if the screenplay was edgier and the pace faster, it might have turned out to be a real thriller.

A must-watch only for Farhan Akhtar fans.

A should-see for movie buffs.

A can-give-it-a-miss-till-it’s-out-on-DVD for the rest.