‘Kartam Bhugtam’ Review: Shreyas Talpade’s Terrific Performance Salvages A Predictable Thriller

Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Vijay Raaz, and Madhoo

Director: Soham Shah

Rating: 2.5/5

‘Kartam Bhugtam’, which premiered in theatres on Friday (May 17), had the potential to be a dark and twisted tale about manipulation and vengeance. It, however, ends up being nothing more than a mediocre thriller. The Soham Shah-helmed film centres on Dev (Shreyas Talpade), an out-of-luck aspiring entrepreneur who returns to India from New Zealand following a personal tragedy and soon finds himself in a tough situation. He eventually seeks help from Anna (Vijay Raaz), an astrologer, to get his life back on track. This sets the stage for a shocking game of deceit.

The basic storyline is intriguing and relatable as it essentially revolves around an underdog. Moreover, it also touches upon the ‘faith vs science’ debate. The promising premise sadly goes nowhere as the writing is not up to the mark. The opening scenes introduce us to Dev as he grapples with several unforeseen personal challenges while grieving his father’s death. These sequences had the potential to be Kartam Bhugtam’s emotional fulcrum but this never happens. The shoddy screenplay fails to explore his relationship his dad in depth. Moreover, the film rushes through his struggles at with banks and property dealers, which makes it difficult for viewers to emphstise with him. This pretty much robs the first half of its sheen despite the mildly engaging twist towards the interval. The second half begins on a promising note as Dev tries to unravel a mystery about a key character. It, however, soon falls apart. The secret is revealed way too soon, which dilutes the impact. The rest of the film revolves around Dev’s attempts at getting even with his foes and features some predictable yet passable sequences. There’s a romantic subplot as well but it little to nothing to ‘Kartam Bhugtam’. The climax blends with the film’s theme and title but there’s nothing much to say beyond that.

That said, ‘Kartam Bhugtam’ has a few merits as well. Shreyas Talpade elevates the film with his excellent performance. He is at his vulnerable best in a moving scene where an emotionally-disturbed Dev blindly obeys Anna’s instructions. The ‘Iqbal’ actor is equally good in the scenes where he taunts his foes by reminding them of their past actions.

He is ably supported by Vijay Raaz who conveys a lot through his silences. His menacing gaze further adds depth to his character.

However, ‘Roja’ star Madhoo and Aksha Pardasany of ‘’Jamtara fame fail to leave an impact as they are burdened with one-dimensional characters that don’t do justice to their abilities.

The rest of the cast is passable.

The editing could have been better as the film drags towards the end. The cinematography does not add much to the film. There isn’t a great deal of scope for music and the couple of songs that feature in the film have no recall value. The background score, however, is impressive in a few scenes.

To sum up, ‘Kartam Bhugtam’ serves as a harsh reminder of how even an premise can bite the dust if the execution isn’t good enough. Shreyas Talpade deserved a better film.