Karthik Calling Karthik(2010)
Karthik Calling Karthik is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language psychological thriller film directed by Vijay Lalwani. It stars Farhan Akhtar in a dual role as Karthik and his alter ego, alongside Deepika Padukone as Shonali. The story follows a lonely, bullied man who begins receiving mysterious phone calls from someone claiming to be himself. These calls transform his life, leading to success and love, but also reveal a dark psychological condition. The film was praised for Farhan Akhtar's performance and its sensitive portrayal of mental health. It was produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani under Excel Entertainment. The movie released on 26 February 2010 and is available on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Netflix
- Theatrical Release
- 26 February 2010
- Director
- Vijay Lalwani
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h 14m
- Rating
- 6.8/10
Storyline
Karthik is a shy, abused man with no friends and no confidence. One morning, he gets a call from a stranger who claims to be him. The voice guides him to stand up to his bullies and win the heart of his dream girl. But as Karthik gains everything he ever wanted, the caller's true nature threatens to destroy him.
“The call that changed everything.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Karthik Calling Karthik
Cast reunions in this film: Deepika Padukone & Shankar Mahadevan (2 films together), Farhan Akhtar & Ram Kapoor (2 films together), Farhan Akhtar & Shankar Mahadevan (2 films together), and Ram Kapoor & Shefali Shah (2 films together).
Trivia
- The film's original title was 'Karthik Calling Karthik', but it was almost changed to 'Phone Bhoot' before release.
- Farhan Akhtar learned to mimic a stammer for his role by observing people with speech difficulties in real life.
- The movie was shot in just 45 days, which is considered a very short schedule for a Bollywood film.
- Director Vijay Lalwani made his directorial debut with this film after working as an assistant director on 'Lakshya'.
- The film's plot twist was inspired by classic psychological thrillers like 'Fight Club' and 'A Beautiful Mind'.
- It was one of the first Bollywood films to extensively use product placement for brands like BlackBerry and Coca-Cola.
- Despite mixed reviews, the film developed a cult following over the years for its unique storyline and performances.