Kaalakaandi Movie Review

Release Date: January 12, 2018
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Amyra Dastur, Kunal Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Vijay Raaz, Deepak Dobriyal, Isha Talwar, Shenaz Treasury
Director: Akshat Verma
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes

Kaalakaandi is a black comedy, a genre that has been in a perpetual scarcity in Bollywood. The black comedy space commands a niche audience and does not have a mass market, which explains why there are so few movies in this genre. However, for people who do have a liking for black comedy, Kaalakaandi comes across as a refreshing experiment.

We term it as a courageous experiment and not necessarily a successful endeavor, as the movie lacks in certain areas. Kaalakaandi is written by Akshat Verma, the same man who had earlier delighted the audience with his unconventional comedy Delhi Belly. The movie explores the right and wrong of human actions and delves into the thought that eventually it’s just a matter of perceptions.

The movie threads in three separate stories and follows their journey, as they meander into each other. One story captures the dilemma of a man who has just been diagnosed with cancer. The second story is about a woman who is involved in a hit-and-run case. The third story is about two thugs who are learning to trust each other. Saif Ali Khan plays the quintessential good guy, who discovers that all the goodness in life may not guarantee good fortune. So, the next thing he decides to do is give up his good guy attitude and start doing some bad things. This is how the story starts to roll towards its final destination.

Kaalakaandi is a black comedy, but it has been woven in the fabric of a thriller, quite similar to Delhi Belly. Saif Ali Khan has delivered a good performance in his portrayal of a broken man. You can actually feel the character’s pain and suffering. The rest of the actors have also put up good performances. However, there appears to be a lack of continuous flow of gags and guffaws. The movie begins on a promising note, but it seems to fail in creating the desired amount of thrill and humor for the audience. The film tends to peter out, even as you wait for something exciting to happen on the screen.

Overall, it can be said that Kaalakaandi is a courageous experiment, but not necessarily a successful movie. You can watch it if you love black comedy and want to be thrilled by Saif’s eccentric performance.