There was a time when cop dramas in Bollywood were all about slow-motion entries, loud dialogues and heroes beating up ten people without breaking a sweat. Kartavya tries to stay away from that formula, beacuse Saif Ali Khan's Netflix film chooses realism over spectacle and theatrics. Directed by Pulkit, who previously made Bhakshak, the film attempts to show the life of a police officer not as a larger-than-life hero, but as a man constantly falling apart under pressure.
The intention behind Kartavya is visible from the very beginning. The film wants to talk about duty, morality, corruption, family pressure, and emotional exhaustion all at once. Sometimes it succeeds beautifully, especially in its quieter moments. But at the same time, the film also struggles under the weight of its own ambition. It keeps searching for emotional highs that the screenplay never fully reaches.
Kartavya: Story
The story follows SHO Pawan Malik, played by Saif Ali Khan, a police officer whose personal and professional life are both slowly collapsing. At work, he finds himself trapped in the middle of a journalist’s murder investigation that begins exposing uncomfortable truths within the system. At home, things are not much easier. His relationship with his orthodox father remains strained, while his rebellious younger brother constantly adds to the tension inside the family.
In the middle of all this chaos, the only emotional support Pawan truly has is his wife. Their relationship is one of the softer parts of the film because it feels believable and uncomplicated. She understands his silence even when he cannot explain himself.
As the investigation deepens, Pawan starts doubting not just criminals but even the people working beside him. The film also introduces spiritual angles and a godman figure, trying to create a larger conflict between belief, manipulation, and truth. The problem, however, is that the film wants to explore too many things at once. Some tracks work well individually, but together they make the narrative feel overcrowded.
Kartavya: Direction and Writing
Pulkit clearly understands emotions better than spectacle. That is what makes several scenes in Kartavya genuinely effective. The family confrontations feel raw, the emotional breakdowns land naturally, and the film never looks fake or overly dramatic. There is honesty in the script, particularly during those parts when characters just sit and discuss their problems. However, the script consistently loses steam each time it appears that the plot will reach its climax. The movie creates suspense slowly but resolves the conflicts rather weakly. It becomes a constant problem in the story.
At the same time, the film deserves credit for not treating its protagonist like a superhero. Pawan Malik makes mistakes, gets emotionally exhausted, loses control, and struggles to carry the burden of responsibility. Those moments make the film feel far more human than most commercial cop dramas.
Still, a tighter screenplay could have elevated the film significantly. Some scenes stretch longer than necessary, and a few subplots feel incomplete by the end.
Kartavya: Acting
Saif Ali Khan is easily the best part of the film. He plays Pawan Malik with restraint instead of unnecessary aggression. There is tiredness in his eyes throughout the film, and that emotional fatigue works perfectly for the character. He does not try to look heroic all the time, which actually makes his performance more believable.
Even in scenes where the writing weakens, Saif manages to hold the audience’s attention. His portrayal seems restrained and authentic. The Haryanvi accent can sometimes turn out to be exaggerated, but his emotional quotient always stays true.
The role of Rasika Dugal may not have a lot of screen time, but she infuses the same with warmth each time she makes an appearance. Her scenes act as a respite from the otherwise serious plot. On the other hand, Sanjay Mishra is at his best again.
The characters such as Yudhvir Ahlawat, Zakir Hussain, Manish Chaudhari, and Durgesh Kumar easily become a part of the movie's world. However, Saurabh Dwivedi looks like a miscast. The character of the Godman needs to convey an air of menace and unpredictability; however, his expressionless face and boring monologues spoil everything and make him look completely average, not intimidating at all. The menace and unpredictable nature of the character are missing; Saurabh’s acting is not intense enough to make him intimidating. With the constant smile on his face, the character is normal instead of villainous.
Kartavya: Technical Aspect
As for the technical side of the film, it seems rather consistent and well-polished. The cinematography manages to maintain the necessary atmosphere without being too flashy, making it easy to feel the authenticity of small-town settings, police stations, houses, and other locations featured in the movie.
Background music sounds especially good when there are strong emotions involved. At the same time, the editing could be improved because the second part of the movie becomes unnecessarily long somewhere along the way.
Kartavya: Verdict
Kartavya is one of those films that has its heart in the right place but struggles to fully translate its ideas onto the screen. It wants to explore the emotional cost of being a police officer and, in many scenes, it genuinely succeeds in doing that. The film humanises its protagonist instead of glorifying him, and that remains its biggest strength.
At the same time, the film suffers because it tries to handle too many themes together. Corruption, family drama, spirituality, investigation, betrayal, and emotional trauma all compete for attention, leaving several tracks half-developed. Ultimately, Kartavya is realistic, emotional and sincere, but also disappointingly unfinished.
Thus, although there is much to praise about Kartavya, it merits only 2.5 out of 5 stars.
