Karthik Calling Karthik
2010 · Directed by Vijay Lalwani
Original language: Hindi
- romance
- mystery
- thriller
The story
A much abused loner achieves success, and even wins the heart of his gorgeous co-worker, after getting early morning mysterious phone calls from someone.
What it’s like
Cool, desaturated Mumbai interiors and late-night city streets carry most of the mood here, with a restless handheld camera that stays close to its anxious lead and a score that pulses with synth textures and eerie, thinning piano. Scenes often turn on a ringing phone in a dim room, and the lighting shifts from flat office fluorescence to shadowed bedrooms and rain-slick roads as the central character's grip on his own life starts to slip. The pacing is brisk and the suspense builds in short, tightening bursts, with flashbacks to a harsh childhood that surface like bruises under the surface. The emotional register is unsettled and melancholy, with moments of tender romance pressed against a rising dread about the past and the self. Violence is present but restrained: a few sharp, disturbing outbursts and some psychological cruelty, with no gore and little explicit sexual content. It suits a late evening alone or a focused thriller night, and it's best for viewers who enjoy psychological suspense, mental-health themes handled with seriousness, and a slow-building sense of unease.
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