Karmma Calling has some of the necessary elements that would make for a riveting revenge saga. It tells the story of Karmma Talwar (Namrata Sheth) who rents a luxurious beach-facing bungalow in Alibag and seeks revenge on her neighbour Indrani Kothari (Raveena Tandon), who had wronged her father some years ago. Karmma has taken on a new identity and plans to go after every person who was involved in framing her father for a crime. In each episode, we follow her as she exposes a different person involved in the conspiracy. As a plot, this sounds appealing. However, what really pulls the show down is its banal storytelling.
The show’s writing borders on being over-simplistic. It is apparent in the way its characters are named. Karmma’s father is called Satyajeet. Honesty is written in his name, just like revenge is in his daughter’s. This still can be let go but the writers decided to go a step further to write a scrappy dialogue exchange between father-daughter, where the former says, “Papa hamesha sach kehte hai kyunki mera naam hai Satyajeet (Your father always speaks the truth because his name is Satyajeet)”. Filled with such numbness in the writing, the show disappoints consistently.
The episodes begin and end with a monologue by Karmma that is full of general statements to summarise the journey of its characters. Instead of staying with them, we are given a bird’s eye view of their lives. To hear her often unappealing voice over some random visuals feels out of place. Such emotional discrepancies in the dialogue fail to bring out any nuance in the story. In one of the later episodes, one character asks another, “Aap anath ho? (are you an orphan?)”. It is a moment of seriousness. However, the uninventive writing and matter-of-fact performance leave you with a chuckle instead.
Karmma Calling is an Indian adaptation of the American television series Revenge and there are some glimpses of complexity present in the characters. You see hidden motives, manipulative moves and shades of grey but nothing truly makes you root for the story. Watching the show feels like just skimming through scenes without staying with the underlying feelings for more than a few seconds. Right in the first episode, there is a Karwa Chauth party hosted by Indrani for all her rich friends.
There is a lot of chit-chat among the women about the moon which is hidden behind dense clouds making it difficult to complete the ritual. Indrani announces that she will fly above the clouds in her chopper to take a glimpse of the moon. As she walks towards the chopper, she comes to know that her husband has been cheating on her.
Outlandish as it may sound, the scene still had the potential to bring out the inherent arrogance of Indrani by coupling it with how she confronts her husband, in midair, in the chopper. There was a possibility to look at the scene as a perfect introduction to the Kotharis who love to put on a show. However, what we get to see is a scene that hurries to the resolution too soon and is shot and edited without understanding the nature of the conflict at play.
The performances are not rewarding either. Namrata Sheth as Karmma Talwar is unconvincing. She struggles to bring out the essence of the character and seems to be pressed under the weight of its complexity. Apart from some smirks and eye rolls at regular intervals, there is little to her performance. She lacks the charisma that is demanded by the enigmatic character she plays. It doesn’t help at all that we get to see the show through her eyes.
Playing a former actress in the series, Raveena Tandon tries to imbibe her character’s narcissism but fails to create an impression. She gets trapped in all the things that keep happening in the present and some mishaps of her past. The screenplay asks of her to just put on simplistic emotions like resentment and jealousy while ignoring her deeper realities. As a result, it is difficult to empathize with her when the scene is demanding us to be.
In the end, it seems like Karmma Calling has abandoned its own narrative. In the final minutes, instead of bringing the arc of its characters to a resolution, the show takes off on a different tangent by introducing new characters for the next season. It is supposed to take you on a thrilling journey of revenge but keeps dragging to a frustrating effect. There is little to look forward to at the end of each episode and whenever there are cliffhangers, they feel forced. In the last episode, Indrani says, “Kisika bura saaya hai hamari family par (Someone’s evil shadow is on our family)”. Yes, there is, of this show.
Directed by: Ruchi Narain
Starring: Raveena Tandon, Namrata Sheth, Varun Sood, Waluscha De Sousa, Vikramjit Virk, Viraf Patel and Rohit Roy
Disney+ Hotstar
Rating: 1.5/5