Kartam Bhugtam Movie Review, Solid 1st Half That Dissolves Into Absurdity Later
Rating: 3/5
Director: Soham P. Shah
Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Vijay Raaz, Madhoo, Aksha Pardasany
Runtime: 2h 11m
Storyline:
Dev (Shreyas Talpade) is an NRI, who returns to India after his father’s death to get his affairs in order. But much to his frustration, his work keeps facing constant delays.
Fed up of dealing with this red tape, Dev decides to take up his friend Gaurav’s offer to consult pandit Anna (Vijay Raaz). Though initially skeptic, Dev is won over when Anna’s advice seems to actually work in sorting out his problems. But things are more sinister than they seem….
Back home, Dev’s girlfriend Jia (Aksha Pardasany) is getting increasingly frustrated and suspicious of Dev’s absence. When she decides to come to India to investigate Dev’s situation, the sight that greets her is horrifying.
Watch Kartam Bhugtam to see how this psychological thriller unravels….
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Kartam Bhugtam Movie Review:
Kartam Bhugtam director Soham Shah (also known for Kaal and Luck) has a good concept on hand that gets lost in the execution. What starts off as a solid psychological thriller, ends up dissolving into absurdity in the latter half.
The first half is set up superbly, tension palpable as the sinister music hints at darker intentions. The film is engaging when it focuses on Vijay Raaz’s Anna – who seems like a dubious, omnipotent manipulative figure. It is fascinating to see him pull the strings of Shreyas Talpade’s Dev – a frustrated man who turns to faith to help him tide over his problems.
Kartam Bhugtam Movie Review:
Kartam Bhugtam has a solid interval block and one can anticipate an interesting switch in the genre from supernatural elements to psychological thriller. But the 2nd half fails to hold up. The plot takes a bizarre turn, becoming hopelessly contrived, stretching the limits of your suspension of disbelief. What starts in an intriguing fashion, ends up being unconvincing and convoluted in the transition.
Shreyas Talpade is good in the 1st half – accurately portraying the anxiety and the helplessness of Dev. But in the 2nd half, his performance becomes frustratingly one-note. Vijay Raaz is a masterful performer and takes the centre stage as the ominous Anna. He still holds up even though the material he’s given in the 2nd half is foolish. Aksha Pardasany as the girlfriend is limited in her role but passably decent enough.
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