Kartavya Review: Film fails to live up to expectations despite its gripping atmosphere and strong performances
Kartavya Movie Rating: 2 Stars
Watched Kartavya movie on Netflix. Let’s focus on the complete details, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this movie.
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Rasika Dugal, Sanjay Mishra, Saurabh Dwivedi, Zakir Hussain, Manish Chaudha and Yudhvir Ahlawat
Director: Pulkit
Release Date: 15th May 2026 on Netflix
Story: Set in Jhamli, Haryana movie revolves around Pawan (Saif Ali Khan) is an SHO at Jhamli Police Station and lives with his wife Varsha (Rasika Dugal), son Honey (Swastik Bhagat), brother Deepak (Saurabh Abrol) and father Harihar (Zakir Hussain).
On his 40th birthday night murder of a prominent journalist happens who arrives in the Jhamli to investigate Anand Shri (Saurabh Dwivedi) who is a powerful and corrupt godman. The murder instantly becomes a high-profile political and media crisis, placing the blame squarely on Pawan’s shoulders.
Pawan senior Keshav (Manish Chaudhari) is about to suspend him but he promises to solve the case and find the culprits within seven days. As he struggles to solve the case and save his career, Pawan finds his personal life collapsing simultaneously. His younger brother Deepak elopes with a girl from another caste, triggering fury within their deeply conservative household.
Their father Harihar becomes obsessed with restoring the family’s “honor” and is willing to murder his own son to achieve it. Meanwhile, Pawan’s superiors are determined to ensure that Anand Shri’s name never enters the investigation, exposing the nexus between politics, religion and law enforcement.
Caught between institutional corruption and familial violence, Pawan is forced to fight battles on multiple fronts: to solve the journalist’s murder, prevent an honor killing, save his marriage and hold on to his own moral compass. Will Pawan able to win all the fights??
Positives
1. Performances
2. Cinematography
3. Climax
4. Dialogues
Negatives
1. Length
2. Screenplay
3. Story
4. Direction
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this film planned to watch this movie in my free time as loved the trailer. When a 16-year-old boy goes missing, small-town cop Pawan Malik is pulled into an investigation that gradually unravels disturbing truths involving a powerful spiritual leader, child exploitation, and the deeply entrenched caste prejudices within his own family.
Kartavya mirrors the realities of society. At its core, the film is an earnest, well-acted crime drama that places justice and conscience above blind familial loyalty. Pawan’s inner turmoil as a man torn between duty and love for family has been explored well. The crime drama tackles heavy societal themes like honor killing, casteism, and abuse with sincerity, but the impact is diluted by an overly predictable screenplay. The central twist is easy to foresee, leaving very little room for suspense or genuine intrigue. The narrative is thoughtful, but the execution feels underwhelming. A sharper atmospheric tone and sense of dread would have helped it find its rhythm. It is an earnest and socially relevant crime thriller that is ultimately undone by its predictability. While it may not offer major twists or a deeply immersive investigation, it remains a decent one-time watch for viewers who appreciate grounded dramas with strong performances and social commentary. The film’s strongest scenes come not from chases or gunfights, but taut confrontations. One key showdown between Pawan and the father reveals how anger has fermented under obedience for years. Another clash with a senior officer exposes institutional pressure. In both, you sense Pawan realizing complicity has a personal cost. The writing gives actors punchy lines and local flavour. The Haryanvi accent feels consistent, never sliding into parody. Small pop-culture nods, including jokes about Shah Rukh Khan and echoes of Amrish Puri, lighten an otherwise grim storyline.
The film’s greatest strength lies in its performances. Saif Ali Khan rises above the weak script and delivers a performance that is subtle, realistic, yet entertaining. There is a simmering exhaustion to his portrayal of Pawan, a man weighed down by guilt, anger and helplessness. His body language, diction and emotional restraint lend authenticity to the role, particularly in scenes involving his fractured relationship with his father and his frustration with deeply entrenched social codes. Rasika Dugal leaves a huge mark in a supporting role. Two scenes where she enhances the impact are one, where she assures Deepak and Preeti that all will be well and two, where she persuades Pawan to hand over a cup of tea to her father. Zakhir Hussain is terrifyingly believable as a patriarch consumed by caste pride and toxic notions of honor. Manish Chaudhari fits naturally into the role of a morally compromised police officer, while Saurabh Dwivedi makes for an unexpectedly effective antagonist. The real surprise, however, is Sanjay Mishra. His portrayal of Ashok is filled with subtle shifts in posture, expression and tone that quietly reveal the emotional journey of a weary constable adjusting to changing realities.
On the flipside, in an era where OTT platforms have significantly raised the bar for crime thrillers and police procedurals, this film feels comparatively simplistic and convenient. The investigation lacks complexity, and the narrative progression often feels too straightforward to remain consistently engaging. While the film initially creates an illusion of layered storytelling and hidden depth, it ultimately turns out to be underwhelming, rushing through crucial emotional and narrative beats without properly fleshing out its characters. Most supporting characters come across as one-dimensional, and despite its sub-two-hour runtime, the film oddly feels more like an extended episodic drama than a fully realized cinematic experience. It is staggering lack of emotion or nuance amongst its honor killing-hungry crowds renders them almost cartoonish in nature. Worst is, there’s no real payoff to any of the setups. After a strong build-up, viewers expect fireworks and a solid confrontation between the protagonist and a certain key character. Sadly, that moment never arrives and the film ends rather abruptly. In fact, once the credits start rolling, one is almost certain that a mid-credit scene will follow to offer some closure. However, no such scene is present. There is no doubt that the finale is dramatic and also in sync with the film’s title, but it also feels far too convenient.
Overall, movie starts off well and had the potential to be a hard-hitting social drama. However, the weak and abrupt climax dilutes the impact heavily. The film tackles duty, caste and faith with honesty, but rarely screams when it should. Its intentions stay clear, even if its full emotional and political force never entirely arrives. Despite its gripping atmosphere, strong performances and morally complex protagonist, the film leaves behind the feeling of unrealized potential. The foundation for a truly searing socio-political thriller is present throughout, but the writing never digs deep enough into its themes to deliver the lasting emotional and ideological impact it promises. My view on this movie Not Recommended.
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