Karthik Calling Karthik

Whenever a film is lauded by critics,I watch the film. Same with Karthik Calling Karthik. It is an offbeat film which intrigues and moves you with its deft handling of the plot. Karthik is a schizophrenic patient who gets a call at 5 AM everyday from a voice which claims to be his own. The voice helps him achieve phenomenal success both in his professional and personal life. He woos Deepika Padukone,his colleague and dream girl. He manages to dominate his boss,who until now harasses him everyday. The voice warns him not to tell anyone about the calls. Karthik breaks the promise and tell the matter to his girlfriend. Now,his life gets a U turn and it is back to square one again. His boss turns violent and sends him out of office and Deepika,his girlfriend complains that he called her a slut. Karthik is caught the unawares and runs away from home to find solace in a non-descript town in Kerala. It is now revealed that Karthik is a schizophrenic patient who records his own voice on his phone and sets a time to reproduce the message. The film is beautifully presented and it manages to hold the thrill till the end. You start to feel for Karthik for his plight over the mysterious calls. I was moved to tears when the hapless Karthik pops numerous sleeping pills to attempt suicide. Deepika is a world class actor. She has added so much grace to a very small role. Farhan Aktar plays the role of Karthik to perfection. However,his diction is not clear to me. The movie has only a handful of characters and yet it is a good cinematic experience. A wonderful debut by director Vijay Lalwani.