Kashan Advani’s debut movie Carma had the promise of being a mystery thriller inspired by the golden words of legendary Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino, “Violence is one of the most fun things to watch.” What no one told Advani was that watching a train wreck is not fun for anyone.
The film’s title, ‘Carma,’ is an amalgamation of the words “car” and “Karma” and is set up as a revenge thriller which hinges on multiple twists and turns. Though spread over an hour and 53 minutes, it is perhaps a half hour too long and maybe has a few twists too many.
The cast
The movie, written by Fawad Hai, sports an experienced cast that includes television mainstays Osama Tahir, Navin Waqar, Zhalay Sarhadi, Paras Masroor, Umer Alam, Wajdan Shah, Arjumand Rahim, Khaled Anum, Anum Gauhar, and Emaan Khan. There is even a cameo appearance by Adnan Siddiqui.
There is even the debut by musician Lili Caseley.
Plot
As mentioned earlier, the movie is a revenge thriller. And as the name suggests, it includes a lot of cars as well – though there are question marks over the octanes.
Carma is focused on Hamza/Haroon (played by Osama Tahir), who has been abducted and held hostage by three gang members.
Zahlay Sarhadi plays the vicious crime boss, Sasha. She leads a group of henchmen, including Jamal, Hashmat and Abdul, played by Umer Alam, Paras Mansoor and Wajdan Shah.
They attempt to steal a family heirloom of Maria, played by Navin Waqar.
The movie starts slow, and the story only picks up pace after the first half hour.
Most of the story focuses on events that took place over three years between 2017 and 2020.
As the plot unfolds, we learn that all the characters are interconnected, and there is a history of everything happening.
Flashbacks and plot tools
The film spends as much time in the present as it does jumping to various points in the past as it seeks to connect various bits.
For example, each scene during Hamza/Haroon’s kidnapping is somehow linked to the past, disclosing all the characters and their connections.
Normally, this is a good way to introduce backstories, add depth to characters, and introduce their motivations, agendas, and betrayals.
But the constant rewinds and flashbacks, though, only add to the movie’s chaos.
Too many irrelevant turns give the audience less food for thought and only lead to questions about the script.
At some point, the writer appears to have forgotten to link the past with the current period, such as a call back to Sasha’s alluded childhood trauma.
The problem with multiple plot twists is that they can appear out of nowhere, completely irrelevant to the story, such as Ali Khan’s (Adnan Siddiqui) extramarital affair with Sasha.
Despite being madly in love with Ali Khan, Sasha doesn’t recognize his son, Hamza Khan.
At some point, the story asks the audience to take some outlandish leaps of faith. The portrayal of open alcohol consumption on the streets of Karachi.
In other places, you see a secretary wearing a knee-length skirt in an office and the Desi stereotypes of foreigners walking about in short dresses at all times.
Cinematography and acting
Shooting 90% of the movie in and around cars was a great concept and breaks the norm, though it doesn’t serve the visual storytelling experience for the viewers.
This only adds to a more claustrophobic experience, with most actors seen ‘trapped’ in close-ups.
The four gangsters in the movie performed decently. They do justice to their characters. But at times, one can tell they are being unnaturally extreme.
While Wajdan Shah may have thought it would add to his overall image of licking a knife covered with blood, it unnecessarily riles the audience.
On the other hand, the protagonist, Osama Tahir, playing a businessman’s character, seemed too wooden rather than have a semblance of out-of-control appreciation for his situation.
Given his background in theater and having performed some memorable roles like Rohan in the drama serial Hania, his lack of involvement takes one aback.
Navin Waqar, as Maria, is forgettable, as she doesn’t add any substance to the character.
Despite the suggestion of a love marriage, the main leads completely lack chemistry.
The low budget of the movie, plus poor acting performance and a terrible decision to release the movie alongside the Baloch origin Doda may cost the movie at the box office.
Overall, Carma is an over-revved mess that tries to drive faster than either the driver or the car can handle.
