First impression when the movie started rolling was- Farhan Akhtar looks a lot like a watered down version of Jack Shepherd from Lost. And he resembles him in more ways than one. They both are a curious package of winner and loser combined into one. And the movie is also just that. It wins some and lose some.
Karthik calling Karthik is a strange mix of blatant reality and incredulous eccentricity. It manages to balance both for the most part, but fails towards the latter half. The movie in itself is slow and makes you wonder where its leading- Some might fall asleep with that and some will be on the edge of your multiplex chair-your choice.
It possibly could have been a welcome change from the all perfect heroes who usually don the Bollywood screen. But apparently, these days the scarred and scared heroes rule the market. Yet, Farhan Akhtar steals the show with his easy portrayal of the protagonist with a charming disguise.He ace the part of the wounded hero -making us ache for the damaged goods. He is a treat to watch and definitely should do more films. Deepika totally fits the ice queen office doll (who is also smart) part, but I wonder whether she can ever get out of that mould.(Another Aiswarya Rai in the making, I suppose).
There are some brilliant strokes in the movie- like the lone tear hidden beneath the boring glasses of Karthik leaving the office when he gets fire, before and afters of the makeover of the man and his home, a Rubiks cube which encompasses all things mundane yet amazingly powerful.(Farhan learnt to solve the cube, says Wikipedia.Wow) The writer has been obviously reading Kafka.
The screenplay gets increasingly chunky towards its second half. When the only two people in the movie theatre (perks of going for an Indian movie in a US theatre on a Friday) guesses the climax, it could only mean one thing- Either we are exceptionally smart or the climax is passe which any ardent Sydney Sheldon fan could easily spot. But mistake not, I do have the creeps every time a telephone rings at home.
I wouldnt call it a love story nor a thriller. It hangs in a fine line between the two.But its definitely worth a watch. After all, the movies motives are sincere and its heart is in the right place.
And if not anything, you should watch it for Farhan Akhtar. Uff teri Ada!
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Some 3 years back, in a movie theatre in Mumbai there were just 6 people watching a movie- 2 mushy couple and 2 unsuspecting strangers. The strangers were commonly bound by the irritation of having to see the couples coochie cooing in broad daylight err, dimmed lights in the theater.
By intermission, the strangers were sharing popcorn and chit chatting. She was passing time before catching a flight and me- I was a movie reviewer- my brain works quick.
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