Kartavya - Short Runtime, even shorter Surprise.

Kartavya: Short Runtime, Even Shorter Surprises : My quick take on “Kartavya” (Netflix)

Netflix’s Kartavya feels like the makers opened a pressure cooker of North Indian social issues and threw in class divide, honor killings, dera culture, corrupt cops, and one lone “system se ladta hua imaandaar officer.” Unfortunately, somewhere between the whistles and steam, originality escaped.

But credit where due. The Sartaj Singh of Sacred Games rides again. Saif Ali Khan does shine in a cop role once more, this time with a Haryanvi twang that sounds like Haryana after a semester abroad. Good effort though. One suspects he’s subtly auditioning for Rohit Shetty’s elite Cop Universe recruitment drive.

The film’s greatest virtue? Its runtime. It wraps up faster than an IPL innings after a middle-order collapse, which makes the experience pleasantly bearable. 😉

The outdoor locations are beautifully raw, and actors like Sanjay Mishra, Zakir Hussain, Manish Chaudhary and Rasika Dugal bring enough gravitas to make the fictional Haryana feel authentic.

Then comes the cinematic baptism of ex-The Lallantop anchor Saurabh Dwivedi, which gently confirms that not every newsroom veteran automatically evolves into Smita Patil.

The antagonist lacks menace, the twists arrive with GPS-level predictability, and the climax feels assembled by interns five minutes before submission deadline. Still, if the alternative is watching Kolkata Knight Riders this season, the entertainment levels remain surprisingly comparable. Incidentally, KKR’s connection to the production makes this accidental metaphor even sweeter. 😄

Chalo, mera toh kartavya tha aapko aagaah karna. Baaki… remote aur regrets, dono aapke haath mein hain.