Karthik Calling Karthik: Loser Karthik, Winning Farhan!

By MovieTalkies.com, 26 February 2010 3.5 / 5

It's a cinematic call you shouldn't be ignoring. No two ways, Vijay Lalwani makes a rather confident directorial debut with 'Karthik Calling Karthik'. The film is impressive in the manner in which the director manages to tell a very interesting tale indeed, with sufficient elements of thrill in it to keep one engrossed till the end. And the lead actors, especially Farhan Akhtar take that forward and make it an eminently watchable movie. One may or may not agree with the manner in which the film ends, but there is little doubting Lalwani's ability to hook his audience and steer them into the life of his protagonist, Karthik. Without seeming like overstating, it is Farhan the actor who really steals the show with his portrayal, first of the loser Karthik, and then as his cocky, smart avatar. The actor has a chameleon like ability to get into character, so evident in this movie and is so utterly natural, and goes about his business in such a quiet manner that you don't realise when he has you hooked. In his short acting career, Farhan has impressed with all his roles, be it 'Rock On!!' or 'Luck By Chance', and now 'Karthik Calling Karthik'. It's time audiences took a break from the overrated Khans and focussed their attention on this young Akhtar instead. The movie details the story of this loser Karthik (Farhan), whose abilities go unnoticed in office, where he is his boss's favourite whipping dog; his love life is the pits, actually he has none, he doesn't have the courage to confess his love for the office hottie, Shonali (Deepika Padukone), and is bullied by his landlord, as well. Mr. Loser Karthik has been visiting a psychiatrist for years, but has not yet been able to crack his problem of not being able to stand up for himself, despite having it all. Suddenly, one morning he gets a call which changes his life… forever!! All despair about his non descript life goes out the window. In strides a dapper, smart, and confident Karthik, who not only manages to become a partner in the same business where he was treated like a nobody, he wins the heart of the girl who has been looking through him for years, and yes, he even manages to cow down his landlord. The metamorphosis is phenomenal and the one responsible for it is the caller who calls him every day at 5 in the morning and calls himself… Karthik, as well! A caller, who sounds like him and knows just about everything about him. Life seems hunky dory for Karthik till he breaks the secrecy code imposed on him by the caller Karthik… and all hell breaks loose! He loses his job, his money, his love and runs far away from Mumbai to start his life again, in a nondescript town, in a nondescript office. The rest of the film details whether Karthik can get his dream life back together again or not. One must confess that the director gives enough clues for a discerning audience to guess what is happening. But he does it so smartly and lulls you into the narrative with such expertise that one goes along willing. Except for the final bit, the film proves to be interesting as Lalwani manages to build up a sense of suspense about the caller Karthik and his identity. The screenplay is taut and extremely well written. The dialogues are a treat as well, as they are contemporary and so everyday stuff, that one can instantly relate to it. Technically, there is little to fault in the movie, as all departments work seamlessly, be it the camera, costumes, music or the background score. Despite so much going for it, it is one Farhan Akhtar who really is the life of the movie. He is superb as the loser, his body language and tone of speech, all perfectly done. His transformation into this smart confident dude too is a treat to watch. What is most endearing are his flashes of vulnerability when he is with Shonali, the girl of his dreams. And, yes, the chemistry between the two is quite palpable. In fact, one has rarely seen Deepika sharing such a chemistry with any of her other male co stars. Also, this is the first time that she really impresses in terms of being an actress. She plays the bold, confident and yet vulnerable Shonali very well. The sequence at the bar and then back at her home have been very well handled, indeed. The rest of the cast, specially Ram Kapoor (the boss) and Shefali Shah (psychiatrist) are also quite at par. In all, 'Karthik Calling Karthik' is a well made movie, which has a story to tell and manages to tell it well. Without a shadow of doubt, Lalwani does make a strong debut with this movie. Success calling Lalwani…

Karthik Calling Karthik: '3 Tunesmiths' score once again!

By MovieTalkies.com, 13 February 2010 3.5 / 5

Farhan Akhtar is all set to take his bow in front of the camera for a third time with 'Karthik Calling Karthik', said to be a romantic thriller. This time around, however, Farhan decides to just concentrate on his acting and leaves the singing to others. The film which has been produced by his production house, Excel Entertainment and has been directed by first timer Vijay Lalwani, sees him paired opposite Deepika Padukone. The music, composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, has their trademark touch and there are moments when one is struck by a sense of deja vu, as if one has been down these musical lanes once before. But that does not mar the musical quality of the film, which is top notch as the trio does a terrific job with numbers that combine all that is contemporary with some very authentic Indian sounds. The album of 'Karthik Calling Karthik' has six numbers and two remixes, the lyrics of which have been all written by Javed Akhtar, thus ensuring that there is a certain touch of class and simplicity about them. The album begins with the number 'hey ya', which has been sung by Clinton Cerejo, Shankar Mahadevan and Loy Mendonsa. This is the number which sees a wonderful mix of English and Hindi and is reminiscent, ever so faintly, about certain numbers from 'Rock On!!'. It has a very catchy pace, specially the manner in which the refrain of 'Hey Ya' punctuates the number. It definitely has a catchy feel to it. It has a remix version, as well, which has been arranged by Digital Boyz. The second number, 'uff teri ada' is the romantic number on this album and has been sung by Shankar and Alyssa Mendonsa. This is an out and out Shankar number and he does all he is best known for, stretching his vocal chords in many unimaginable ways. The chorus of 'teri ada' is extremely catchy and rather upbeat, and is bound to have one singing along. This is definitely the chartbuster number of the album as it has something which is extremely sweet, melodious and rhythmic to it. The song has almost two distinct styles, one which has Alyssa coming in with a very staccato rendition followed by the catchy and vibrant chorus set against Shankar's 'taans' and vocal pyrotechnics. Both parts of the song merge seamlessly to give us one of the best numbers in this album. This has an interesting remix version as well, which has been arranged by Udyan Sagar/Nucleya and is quite interesting. The third number called 'jaane yeh kya hua' is a soulful, slow number which has been sung by KK. It is a number which brings the best in the singer and manages to leave his signature stamp on the number, unleashing his vocal virtuosity together with the usage of the mouth organ, which sounds quite haunting in the number. Kailash Kher and Sukanya Puryakastha come together for the next number titled, 'kaisi hai yeh udaasi', which is all about being forlorn and alone in love. Centred around heartbreak, the song has a sombre quality to it, a 'therav', which Kailash brings in effortlessly. Sukanya joins in with her husky, young tones and gives the number a very contemporary and fresh feel. This is not the kind of number which will hook one instantly,unlike some of the other numbers in this album, but it definitely proves to be a rewarding experience as the song guides the listener into its depths. Definitely one of the gems in this album, which sees a couple of relatively young female vocalists like Alyssa and Sukanya, managing to leave their impact. The next number, the title track of the movie, seems to be straight out of something from the psychedelic haze of the Beatles. It has a very different pace and style of singing and moves in a slow, thrilling fashion. Rocker Suraj Jaggan, Shankar Mahadevan, Caralisa Monteiro and Malika Singh lend their voices to this number, which begins and ends with the ringing of the phone, thuds playing out the theme motif. The next two tracks on the album belong to Midival Punditz Karsh Kale, who dazzle with their instrumentals. Both their pieces, the first called 'Karthik' and the second which is a remix of the title track, follow the same suspense, thriller motif and use the phone ring tone very effectively, as it comes in at very appropriate intervals. In the remix track, the instrumentals gradually pick up tempo and speed and move towards a thrilling crescendo before building up the pace yet again, which proves to be very tantalising. Both pieces are definitely very situational in nature, whose impact would be best felt when seen with the visuals. But yes, it definitely sets the mood of a thriller as it builds up so much suspense and mystery in the manner which the crescendo builds up repeatedly, allowing for little recovery time. Both are exceptional pieces from the very talented Midival Punditz Karsh Kale. Shankar Ehsaan Loy have once again come up with a score which proceeds to dazzle one with its originality. They may, at times, be accused of copying themselves and definitely do have their signature style. But that is to their credit and takes away nothing from the quality of their work, which remains classy. And makes their tunes turn chartbusters.

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