Hindi Blu Karthik Calling Karthik
Hindi Blu Karthik Calling Karthik
Hindi Blu Karthik Calling Karthik
Karthik Calling Karthik is a 2010 Hindi psychological thriller film directed by Vijay Lalwani and starring Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles. The film revolves around Karthik, a shy and introverted office worker who suffers from low self-esteem and is bullied by his boss and co-workers. His life changes when he starts receiving mysterious phone calls from a person who claims to be himself and guides him to improve his personal and professional life. However, things take a dark turn when the caller reveals his true identity and motives.
The film was released on 26 February 2010 and received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised the performances of Akhtar and Padukone, the music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, and the first half of the film, while others criticized the screenplay, the logic, and the climax of the film. The film was a moderate success at the box office, earning 340 million (US$4.8 million) worldwide against a budget of 180 million (US$2.5 million). The film was also dubbed in Tamil as Karthik Naan Karthik.
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Plot
Karthik Narayan (Farhan Akhtar) is a timid and insecure architect who works at a construction company in Mumbai. He is constantly harassed by his boss Kamath (Ram Kapoor) and his colleague Ashish (Vipin Sharma), who take credit for his work and mock him for his stuttering problem. He is secretly in love with his co-worker Shonali Mukherjee (Deepika Padukone), but is too afraid to express his feelings. He lives alone in a dingy apartment and suffers from insomnia and depression.
One day, he receives a phone call from an unknown number at 5 am. The caller identifies himself as Karthik and claims to be his well-wisher. He advises him to overcome his fears and pursue his dreams. He also tells him to buy a new phone with the same number and keep it a secret from everyone. Karthik initially dismisses the call as a prank, but soon realizes that the caller knows everything about him and his life. He follows the caller's instructions and starts to see positive changes in his life. He confronts Kamath and Ashish, impresses his clients with his presentation, and confesses his love to Shonali, who reciprocates his feelings.
Karthik becomes happy and confident with the help of the caller, whom he considers as his friend and mentor. He also visits a psychiatrist, Dr. Kapadia (Shefali Shah), who diagnoses him with schizophrenia and prescribes him some medication. However, Karthik does not take the pills and continues to talk to the caller every morning. He also learns that the caller is using his old phone, which he had thrown away after buying a new one.
One day, Karthik receives a call from the caller at 4:59 am, one minute before their usual time. The caller reveals that he is not his friend, but his enemy, and that he has been manipulating him all along. He threatens to ruin his life if he does not obey him. He forces him to do humiliating and dangerous things, such as shaving his head, drinking alcohol at work, breaking up with Shonali, and jumping off a building. He also tells him that he is the real Karthik Narayan, and that he (the protagonist) is an impostor who stole his identity.
Karthik is shocked and confused by this revelation. He tries to escape from the caller's clutches, but fails. He also loses his job, his friends, and Shonali's trust. He decides to end his life by jumping off a train, but survives the attempt. He then finds out that the caller is none other than his twin brother Kartik Narayan (also Farhan Akhtar), who was separated from him at birth and grew up in an orphanage. Kartik had tracked down Karthik through their birth records and decided to take revenge on him for having a better life than him.
Karthik confronts Kartik at his apartment and fights with him. Kartik stabs Karthik with a knife and tries to kill him, but Karthik manages to overpower him and strangles him to death. He then calls Dr. Kapadia and tells her everything that happened. She arrives at his apartment and finds him lying on the floor with a knife in his hand and blood on his shirt. She also sees that there is no sign of Kartik or his phone in the apartment. She realizes that Karthik had killed his own alter ego, who was a manifestation of his subconscious mind. She calls the police and tries to save Karthik, who is bleeding profusely.
The film ends with a voice-over of Karthik, who says that he is finally free from his inner demons and hopes to start a new life with Shonali.
Cast
Farhan Akhtar as Karthik Narayan / Kartik Narayan (voice)
Deepika Padukone as Shonali Mukherjee
Ram Kapoor as Kamath
Vivan Bhatena as Ashish's friend
Vipin Sharma as Ashish
Yatin Karyekar as Landlord
Shefali Shah as Dr. Kapadia
Production
The film was written and directed by Vijay Lalwani, who made his debut with this film. He said that he got the idea for the film from a newspaper article about a man who received phone calls from himself. He also said that he wanted to make a film that was different from the usual Bollywood fare and explored the themes of identity, self-discovery, and mental health. He approached Farhan Akhtar to play the lead role, who agreed after reading the script. Akhtar also co-produced the film under his banner Excel Entertainment along with Ritesh Sidhwani. Deepika Padukone was cast as the female lead after Akhtar saw her performance in Love Aaj Kal (2009). Ram Kapoor, Shefali Shah, and Vipin Sharma were also signed for supporting roles.
The film was shot in Mumbai, Goa, and Kerala over a period of 60 days. The cinematography was done by Sanu John Varughese and the editing by Aarti Bajaj. The music was composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who collaborated with Akhtar for the fourth time after Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Lakshya (2004), and Rock On!! (2008). The lyrics were written by Javed Akhtar, Farhan's father. The film had six songs, including the hit tracks "Hey Ya!" and "Uff Teri Adaa". The background score was composed by Midival Punditz and Karsh Kale.
Release and reception
Karthik Calling Karthik was released on 26 February 2010 in India and overseas. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Akhtar and Padukone, the music, and the first half of the film, but criticized the screenplay, the logic, and the climax of the film. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Karthik Calling Karthik starts off promisingly enough as an intriguing thriller, but nosedives into an abyss of stupidity." Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Karthik Calling Karthik is a decent product with an unconvincing conclusion." Anupama Chopra of NDTV gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Karthik Calling Karthik is a frustratingly uneven film. It has moments of genuine suspense and emotional depth but it also has scenes that are inexplicably silly."
The film was a moderate success at the box office, earning 340 million (US$4.8 million) worldwide against a budget of 180 million (US$2.5 million). It was declared as an average grosser by trade analysts.
References
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The film was also dubbed in Tamil as Karthik Naan Karthik and released in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil version received positive reviews from critics and audiences, who appreciated the dubbing quality and the voice actors. The film was also screened at various international film festivals, such as the London Indian Film Festival, the Dubai International Film Festival, and the Shanghai International Film Festival. The film received several nominations and awards for its music, direction, and performances. Farhan Akhtar won the Best Actor award at the Screen Awards and the Zee Cine Awards, while Deepika Padukone won the Best Actress award at the Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of Karthik Calling Karthik was composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, who had previously worked with Farhan Akhtar in Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya, and Rock On!!. The lyrics were written by Javed Akhtar, Farhan's father. The album consisted of six songs, featuring vocals by Shankar Mahadevan, Loy Mendonsa, Clinton Cerejo, Kailash Kher, Suraj Jagan, KK, Alyssa Mendonsa, and Caralisa Monteiro. The album was released on 3 February 2010 by T-Series.
The songs were well received by critics and audiences alike. Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Karthik Calling Karthik is a good album that has a mix of songs that cater to different sensibilities." Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Karthik Calling Karthik is a pleasant surprise. It's not everyday you come across a soundtrack that's so refreshingly original and diverse." The songs "Hey Ya!" and "Uff Teri Adaa" became chartbusters and were among the most popular songs of the year.
The track list of the album is as follows:
"Hey Ya!" Shankar Mahadevan, Loy Mendonsa, Clinton Cerejo
"Uff Teri Adaa" Shankar Mahadevan, Alyssa Mendonsa
"Jaane Ye Kya Hua" KK
"Kaisi Hai Ye Udaasi" Kailash Kher, Sukanya Purkayastha
"Karthik Calling Karthik" Shankar Mahadevan, Suraj Jagan, Caralisa Monteiro
"Karthik 2.0" Midival Punditz, Karsh Kale
Analysis
Karthik Calling Karthik is a film that explores the themes of ide