Kartavya

Kartavya attempts the venerable Hindi cinema formula of revenge-driven redemption, but stumbles badly in execution despite having the bones of a compelling story. Director Ravi Tandon, whose previous work averages a forgettable 5.8/10, brings nothing fresh to the material here—the narrative beats are predictable, the pacing drags interminably through a bloated runtime, and the emotional core that should anchor this family drama gets lost in recycled action sequences and melodramatic posturing. The film mistakes shouting for intensity and montages for momentum. What could have been a taut thriller about a son uncovering conspiracy and restoring his mother's dignity instead becomes a plodding exercise in checking boxes: the revelation, the asylum reveal, the evil uncle twirling his metaphorical mustache. It's all been done better, many times before.

The performances don't elevate the material either. The lead actor inhabits Karan with a kind of perpetual bewilderment that might work if it were intentional commentary on his character's disorientation, but it reads more like he's struggling with the material itself. The supporting cast—particularly the actress playing Gayatri Singh—deserved far better writing than what they received; their scenes together could have been the film's anchor but instead feel like obligatory check-ins between action set pieces. There's a film about genuine maternal reconnection and trauma recovery buried somewhere here, but Tandon isn't interested i