Karthik Calling Karthik
Tags: flashback

Plot synopsis:
Karthik (Farhan Akhtar) is an introvert who lacks confidence and feels trapped in his average job at a construction company. He is continuously troubled by an incident from his childhood: His older brother, Kumar, used to torture him, but whenever he complained to his parents, they did not believe him. One day, Kumar took Karthik to a well and tried to throw him in it, but Karthik escaped. Kumar accidentally fell inside the well and died. Karthik has thought himself responsible for his brother's death ever since.
Shonali Mukherjee (Deepika Padukone) is a co-worker at Karthik's company, whom Karthik secretly loved though she remains unaware of his existence, much less his feelings. After being derided by his boss Mr Kamath (Ram Kapoor) yet again; Karthik figures his life can’t get any worse and decides to commit suicide. Just as he is about to, a stranger with the same, exact voice as his, calls and says that he is also Karthik, convincing him that he has the ability to change his life. These phone calls become Karthik's life guide. His chats take place every morning at 5:00 a.m. and the caller provides advice on Karthik's problems, guiding him to become a successful man, win Shonali's heart, and bring color to his otherwise dreary life.
However, when Karthik tells Shonali and his psychiatrist about the phone calls, despite being warned not to, the mysterious caller gets angry and tells Karthik that if he could bring him up, he could also throw him down. As per his word, things start going downhill. Karthik's boss throws him out and Shonali leaves him. Karthik decides that if he goes somewhere he does not know, then the caller wouldn't know where he is either and stop calling him. Karthik travels to an unknown place, takes shelter in a small hotel, and asks the receptionist to remove the telephone and room number plate.
After a few months, Karthik is comfortably living in Cochin with a decent job. His life is back to normal except for the fact that he refuses to have a phone line. Upon his boss's request, he is forced to purchase a landline. He goes to great lengths to ensure that he himself is unaware of the phone number. However, one day at exactly 5 a.m, he receives a call from the mysterious caller, who threatens to kill him. Meanwhile, Shonali is contacted by Dr. Kapadia, who reveals the twist: Karthik actually suffers from Schizophrenia. He has an alter-ego that is more assertive and advises him on how to live life. However it was revealed that the strange caller was Karthik himself. He has been dealing with this condition from a young age, when he created a fake brother named Kumar with his imagination. Karthik's phone has the capacity to record messages and act as a playback feature at a certain time. Karthik would wake up in the middle of the night, leave himself messages as his alter ego, and return to sleep, where he would awake once again at 5 AM to take his own calls.
Eventually, Karthik Narayan becomes so disturbed that he attempts to commit suicide again. Shonali, realizing the truth, arrives at the right time to save him. They reconcile and she stands by him, helping him with his condition. After a few months, Karthik is in the process of dealing with his disorder and lives a happy and rehabilitated life with Shonali by his side.

Review: Farhan Akhtar stars as Karthik, a young square man who blames himself for his elder brother's death at childhood and who lives a very unsocial life, working at a big company where he has to bear his boss' daily humiliations, while Shonali, the girl he is interested in does not even know of his existence.
Nightly calls from this very person consist of constant positive advices of how to run his life and different encouragements, and consequently Karthik turns into an altogether different person, much more secure, happy and easy-going.
Things seem perfect, but the story takes an unexpected twist.That's Vijay Lalwani's directorial debut, Karthik Calling Karthik, which is for the most part a successful psychological thriller.
Somehow, I could correlate to KARTHIK from the word go and loved it, I was so into the movie that I watched into full one stretch and didn't even move a single inch here and there, come what may.
So forget critics, watch this superb movie and be proud that in this totally blurred and commercial age of bollywood in which actors like SRK and AKSHAY don't know nothing except to be making films for own motive, we have actors like FARHAN which r sincere and want to work from their heart, not because they want to earn money, but because they want to act..
The telephone has left its indelible mark as a horror film element, thanks to many Japanese films and Hollywood remakes which dwell on mankind's fear of pervasive technology, and it is easy to mistake this Bollywood film, written and directed by débutant Vijay Lalwani as one of the run of the mill horror films which the protagonist get antagonized by strange phone calls made to him in the middle of the night.
Thankfully though it steered clear of that formula, although it did become quite the stretch in its home run revelation, to achieve what's relatively short for an Indian film that clocks in just slightly over two hours.Farhan Akktar impresses and carries the film on his shoulders from start to end.
Famous for being a prolific producer and director himself, he has no lack of acting chops and takes on the role as the mysterious Karthik Narayan, a meek man who is agonized by his childhood secret of having been involved in his brother's death.
Run, girl!The only other film I watched Farhan star in, is the ensemble piece Luck By Chance, which gave a contemporary look at the Bollywood film industry.
It's a confidence booster that Karthik's own psychiatrist (Shefali Shetty) seem unable to dispense, and with the prep talk every dawn at 5am, Karthik becomes the confident man as he struts around the office, succeeding in every aspect thanks to those calls, and eventually wooing the girl of his dreams.The first half focused on the romance for the most parts after Karthik's professional life gets sorted, and here the usual musical montages form the backdrop of the courtship between Karthik and the outgoing Shonali.
Karthik Calling Karthik again doesn't allow her to break new ground, other than being the clotheshorse in the film..For a first timer, Vijay Lalwani doesn't become like Karthik in being the bundle of nerves, but pulls this film through with a story that discusses about how technology develops itself despite detrimental effects to health, and mental issues of guilt and intricate complexities of the mind.
The cards get kept close to his chest with a satisfying revelation at the end of course, but somehow the second half, in which Karthik would be set to challenge the caller after a series of downfalls because of the breaking of promises (and if pushing it, the inevitable trusting of a woman!), seem to be dragging things out for a tad too long, and convenient to boot as well.No cheap gimmicks were used, and by steering clear of the expected, Karthik versus Karthik manages ring through (pardon the bad pun) as an above average thriller..
It seldom happens after watching a Bollywood movie that you walk out assured that this has to be a Hollywood remake, going by the quality of the script and the execution, and then are surprised that it isn't.
The soundtrack is well embedded into the movie and the camera-work has a youthful feel to it.We didn't have big expectations from the movie, being our first Farhan Akhtar enacted movie, and we only know him more as a director.
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.
though by all Indian website reviews it was not regarded a good film so i prepared myself that this film was a flop so would not be good but as movie reach to its hour the film itself changed my mind and gave birth to feeling within myself that i am not watching a bollywood film but a film of Hollywood....farhan akhter and vijay(director,screenplay writer) really deserve some recognition for his work...
It's nice to see lot of bollywood movies coming up with tight script and engaging direction.
Even most traditional film director/actor is coming with as bold movie as "My name is Khan"!!
Let's hope this trend will continue.As movie is suspense thriller, it's not worth to discuss story.
Hope he will not let his inside director vanish completely.All in all KCK is one more movie from bollywood this year that is worth watching.
Inspite of it being borrowed, this film is a good one time watch n it is heavily saved by Farhan Akhtar.
This is Farhan Akhtar's third film as an actor and it must be said that he takes giant strides when it comes to acting..
Not many movies in bollywood have been made under the genre of psychological thriller and that is main highlight of the film..
She definitely needs someone to train her!The main aim of a suspense movie is to keep the audience guessing what will happen next and Karthik Calling Karthik succeeds in doing that!To conclude:Positives: The suspense is maintained well, Superb acting by Farhan and excellent music!Negatives: The ending of the movie may NOT be appreciated by some!My Rating : 7/10Thanks and Regards.
The film at every level speaks to the audience like a friend who teases constantly.If the scripting is powerful, then obviously the film will conclude appropriately, hence Karthik Calling Karthik is the best example on how to write a good script which keeps the audience gripped in the cinema right till the end.This film is not for the lovers of Bollywood Love Drama's, but for people who enjoy into thinking deeply and then finally relaxing with a relief after the suspense is revealed.Characterization is well placed, and surely the auditioning was well handled.
1st half is average but watchable and in 2nd half movie picks up real pace....its a perfect thriller.....u keep guessing till the last moment......what more u want.....
So I will not be boring you with the story but only what I thought of it.Karthik Calling Karthik is an exceptionally well made film from the beginning to the end (promise I wasn't paid for this).
The penultimate question would be will I be recommending this movie to my family and friends over My Name Is Khan or 3 idiots (exceptional good films in their own right) my answer would be definitely yes (but you should absolutely watch those two films, they are great)..
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.
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.
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 and cool office.I wish they'd thought of another, less predictable, more innovative ending (my wife actually came up with one that wasn't too bad).
Movie starts smoothly, with brilliant acting skills shown by Farhan Akhtar.
Karthik Calling Karthik exactly falls in the same category where the idea is good and the presentation is fine but there are certain facts mentioned below which completely go against the movie and disappoint.1.
The script writers have prolonged several sequences in the film in order to make it a full length movie and in the end the double identity secret turns out to be a complete spoiler.4.
The writers certainly should have thought of a different mystery in the end, which could have enhanced the overall impact of an otherwise watchable movie with some good performances.In short, KCK is a worth-watching flick before the interval and simply pathetic in its second half.
The soft romance between Farhan & Deepika in the first hour is beautifully conceived by the director and is the only worth mentioning merit of the movie.
In fact Farhan's act in KCK can easily be rated much better than his other two movies as an actor.
Farhan & Deepika form a pleasant pair on screen but you are sure going to miss the witty dialogues between the couple, prominently showcased in the promotional campaign of the movie.
The movie which was very much based on the suspense factor of the second Karthik, loses its track post intermission and fails to impress with an underwritten revelation of the secret.
But the movie is still watchable for the dazzling act of Farhan and his breezy romance with Deepika..
Farhan Akhtar gives a very good performance as Karthik.
Farhan Akhtar starring as Karthik is our self blaming office boy who is regularly abused verbally and emotionally by his landlord, boss and co- workers and every time he takes it all in on the pretext that he led to his brother's death and this is his penance.
I bought this because I am a huge fan of Deepika Padukone and ended up loving it for the work that Farhan Akhtar brings to it.
As you watch the movie the plot becomes believable and you start to feel for Karthik.
I only say these were stretching roles for Farhan and Deepika, good roles, roles they did well.I can't claim to have seen too many movies about mental illness in my years.
When suicide seemed to be his only option, things change for good when a mysterious morning caller claiming to be Karthik advices him on repairing his life.
Without resorting to overdone machismo, Farhan's portrayal of guarded optimism makes the Karthik believable.An hour into the movie, things are going is good.
Ram Kapoor who has taken time off from playing 'brother' on Swayamvars has done well too.To his credit, Farhan Akhtar's twice as much effort to justify two Karthiks in the movie's name is commendable.
This one does not have a ensemble star cast as ' Luck By Chance ' or trendy touch like ' Rock On ', instead the movie is bit darker and seems to loose it touch in the second half, At some points you feel that the movie is dragged little too much, this could have been made as a 30 minutes episode on some thriller TV series.
Any way this is not an entertainer you get bored after watching 1 hr of it.The movie was all about Farhan and he has done a good job being Karthik "He will definitely make it to the best actor category in all the major Indian Awards" he has a completely different look and manages to surprise audience with his performance, deepika looks glamorous but does not have much role to play compared to the male lead.
Deepika was excellent in Love Aaj Kal and Farhan Akhtar was good in Luck By Chance.
As much as I love Farhan Akhtar (I placed two of his films in Bollywood decade top 10), I think his acting is good without being close to great.
His performance is very weak and he is unable to carry on the whole film on himself.The movie has a really bad ending which was the worst part.
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.
Too often Hollywood directors have to cut good material to fit the movie into a time frame.Anyway this year might become a turning point for Bollywood thanks to films like this.
Karthik calling Karthik is a good movie with decent suspense and nice romance and comedy in between....although i had figured out a certain part of the suspense it still did succeed to surprise me a couple of times or so...so for those wouldn't know the suspense in the beginning it would be even better...a real revelation....the movie doesn't progress at a very fast pace-and that's not a negative aspect of the film-but it does progress steadily...the basic concept though was inspired but the story and screenplay were original and impressive...the dialogs are witty,funny and real not filmy....the first time director Vijay Lalwani is good...did not expect him to be as much good...there were some slick scenes shot in black and white-really liked their timing and the style-and some impressive camera work...his direction is better than what i expected because i didn't expect much....the director gives no unnecessary build ups and wastes no time in bringing in the main theme of the movie to the forefront...farhan akhtar is just amazing in his role and without doubt its no easy role to play..he impresses as the loser Karthik..the suave Karthik..and as the Karthik's voice over the phone...Deepika Padukone is good too...she's damn spontaneous and that's one quality i like in actors...but not every actor has it....the supporting cast is good too...the music is amazing..Shankar Ehsaan Loy's music is cool..background music complements well....
all in all its a nice entertainer with intelligent script and not the usual 'bollywood' crap...go check it out because when its farhan akhtar's movies he never fails to deliver..
Well you have to go and watch yourself what it takes for a movie to be totally astonishing..It is a 120 minutes movie but seems like 120 secs..The debutant director Lalwani has done a great job..He has not let the 'suspense' element spill out till the last minute..You start wondering where the movie is heading , but at last you can easily arrange the puzzle's pieces..He needs a applaud for doing the job..Farhan is excellent in looks and acting..He is a simple guy who is satisfied with his life..He doesn't have a mobile phone in this 21st century..He has to be contacted only through land line..This is the soul of the movie..Works for a real estate agency in Mumbai..He likes a gorgeous girl in his office , but is unable to express his love to her..So he just types a email daily and saves it to draft..Every one in the office utilize his 'modesty' to extract a lot of work from him in which he is perfect..But no one respects him..It eats his confidence bit by bit ..Finally one day he breaks..He comes home and throws the land line in despair and it is shattered..So he purchases a new land line set..This changes his life forever..Watch the movie for the suspense element..Enough of spoilers for now..Deepika Padukone is as charming as ever..She fits in the role to the maximum..Her 'attire' needs a special mention..Music through out the movie is superb..You will be completely indulged in it..Cinematography is excellent..So is the art direction..The apartments and the interiors of the residence are mind blowing..If you want to watch a Bollywood flick with a classic taste then this is the one for you...
After 'Luck by chance' Farhan Akhtar is back on the big screen in 'Karthik calling Karthik'.
Deepika Padukone who seemed perfect for the role manages to give good support to Farhan.
A perfect thriller is the one where whatever you are guessing keeps on turning out to be wrong and that's what happens in the movie..
The acting was satisfactory but nothing exciting, In an attempt to give movie feel of REALITY, the the plot looses itself many times in movie, many scenes were unnecessary and concept is not worth making a movie about....Farhan akhtar who is more then capable director with movies like 'DIL CHAHTA HAI' under his belt is expected to make better movies....and the last scene of movie makes sure that its a typical Hindi movie where hero always survives, the movie would have left greater impact, if karthik would have died...(and the phone would have rung again......at 5AM ;) ).
Though the theme seems to be good, the story drags the romantic relationship between Farhan and Deepika.
Really did not expect something as stupid as that in the end.One can watch the movie when s/he has nothing else to do...
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.
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.
I had to rate this 1 out of 10 but it does not even deserve a 0.5.I wish I could take back the 2 and a half hours of my life.Do not watch this movie even if its for Free.