Kartavya, the movie shares only the name with the 70’s Dharmendra classic, now comes with a new story and star cast frontlined by Saif Ali Khan released on Netflix on 15th May with a crisp timing of 1 hour and 49 minutes.
Story of a conscientious cop, though based in a fictional town Jhamli a place in MP however the lingua-franca used by the characters appears as a cocktail of East Delhi, Haryanvi and Rajasthani dialects. Consequently, forget woh sab, coming back, the theme is equally perplexing, the plot revolves around Babas and Khap panchayats, a dated concept which even the main stream regional media gives a pass.
Though the movie does have its moments as it is well paced, guns are used as functional narrative tools rather than over-the-top glorification and the dialogues remain concise instead of dragging into long, pre-kill monologues—a refreshing change for modern Hindi cinema.
Badla would have been a far more suitable title than Kartavya
The climax delivers a Double whammy to Saif’s character and he manages to exact multiple revenge on the same night, clever thinking, killing 3-4 birds with one stone, kya baat!!!!. In fact, given the narrative arc, Badla (Revenge) would have been a far more suitable title than Kartavya (Duty).
Eventually, the saving grace of the film leans heavily on its supporting cast. Dependable character actors like Manish Chaudhari and Sanjay Mishra lend immense credence to their roles, anchoring the film whenever the main plot wavers.
The biggest surprise is the actor playing the main Baba. In an unexpected twist, the role is played by none other than Saurabh Dwivedi, the prominent former face of The Lallantop.
While his transition from high-profile celebrity journalism to the glamour world is fascinating, he misses the mark in his performance. Leaving a thriving media career without taking basic acting classes visibly diminished the menacing aura his character required.
Eventually, with Kartavya, Saif Ali Khan now focussed on OTT
As for the main attraction, Saif Ali Khan’s acting remains a bit of an enigma. He has clearly shifted his focus toward major OTT platforms, following up a rather cringeworthy Jewel Thief with this rapid release. To illustrate paraphrase Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: “Tum mujhe acting do, main tumhein rating dunga.”
In conclusion, to his credit, Saif has his moments, but they are too few and far between. He is clearly trying to move past his classic, suave “Wow” persona to focus on gritty, serious acting. Unfortunately, his struggle to master the regional dialect robs his lines of their natural punch.
Bankrolled by Gauri Khan, Kartavya is a strictly one-time watch meant primarily for die-hard Saif Ali Khan fans. Consequently, it keeps things brief at 109 minutes, but leaves you wishing the script had as much focus as its runtime.
Streaming on Netflix.
– Review by PAWAN GUPTA
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Cast of Kartavya:
Saif Ali Khan as Inspector Pawan Malik
Rasika Dugal as Varsha Malik (Pawan’s wife)
Sanjay Mishra as Ashok
Saurabh Dwivedi as Anand Shri
Zakir Hussain as Harihar Malik (Pawan’s father)
Manish Chaudhari as Keshav (Senior Inspector)
Yudhvir Ahlawat as Harpal
Saharsh Kumar Shukla as Nirmal
Swastik Bhagat as Honey
Saurabh Abrol as Deepak (Pawan’s younger brother)
Suraksha Gaire as Preeti (Deepak’s wife)
Sanjay Taneja as Sarpanch
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Credits of Kartavya:
Production company – Red Chillies Entertainment
Written & Directed by Pulkit
Produced by Gauri Khan
Cinematography – Anil Mehta
Edited by Zubin Sheikh
Music by Anurag Saikia
Distributed by Netflix
