Kartavya Movie Review: I saw Kartavya on Netflix and have mixed feelings about it as the movie was exceptionally strong before losing focus in its own logic. The main story line had me hooked the second I saw it. An innocent 16 year old boy is charged with murder, and a concerned police officer takes on the task of finding the truth, while striving to prevent the truth from being lost in corruption, political dynamics, and personal trauma. From the first moments the film was one of these kinds of ‘intense’ investigations that involved the mind till the end. The premise is really great, particularly for fans such as myself, whose tastes run towards downbeat crime dramas with morally dubious protagonists and emotionally charged plotlines.
Obviously, the main strength of the movie is Saif Ali Khan. He plays a restrained, mature and very believable performance that carries the film despite the fact that the script becomes a bit confused. I loved the way he was able to capture the essence of a conscientious officer who is caught up between duty and emotional collapse. The anger that slowly fells him out is no longer expressed in words, but in silence.
One particular scene that stuck with me was when he gets his father’s throat in his fist and there’s a whole lot of pressure coming out of his eyes that you can feel for years. There are issues within the family, stress caused by the investigation, political interference, and constant tests of his patience. This is a very emotional character as indicated by the silent rage that slowly creeps on his face. I stayed invested mostly due to him.
I also loved the dark and realistic feel of the film which the director added to it. The world of the film is raw, uncomfortable and believable. There is also a very strong supporting cast that helps to bring a lot of realism to this film. Rasika Dugal and Sanjay Mishra have done a wonderful job, adding emotions to each and every scene that they have been in. I was surprised with the performance of one of them, however, Yatharth Gupta as the teenager boy who is the centre of the case. At first he seems like a threat and a guy that’s mentally ill, almost like a serial killer. Little by little, innocence and helplessness start to show up on his face, and it’s one of the best aspects of the film.
Unfortunately, the film takes a 180 turn in the second half. I could foresee pretty much every major change that would take place early on, then, when the suspense ended, the pace dragged. I had hoped for the story to just get to the point it was developing toward but it drags it out for no great reason and doesn’t throw a lot of new information, twists or shocks. I actually began to think at one point, “Am I smarter than the police?” Why is it that he doesn’t understand this? The climax is too simple and too obvious to be believable, though it certainly is too simple and too obvious for experienced fans of crime thrillers.
One casting was also seriously out of place. The film features journalist Saurabh Dwivedi and, truth be told, he looks very good in his interviews and monologues in the movie, but he’s not at his best at acting. I couldn’t help but notice that the camera zooms out so fast when he’s reading lines. It was actually as if the movie were conspiring to conceal his acting!
I was the least impressed with the climax. I won’t give away anything of the ending since it just seems like it’s left hanging and never really ends. The topic was extremely sensitive, and the emotional return was very low. Instead, the story abruptly heads toward a premature ending, like someone yelling to the actor, “Brother, get the movie over with.” The film has some of the emotional threads unclosed, it has a diminished impact as a result.
However, there are some issues with Kartavya, but I can’t deny that it’s still watchable due to some excellent action in the first half, realistic vibe and Saif Ali Khan’s dedication. I’d still consider it to be worth a look if I just wanted to see a one-time crime thriller for an evening at home.
Rating: 3/5
