| Kartavya | |
|---|---|
 Official release poster | |
| Directed by | Pulkit |
| Produced by | Gauri Khan |
| Written by | Pulkit |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Anurag Saikia |
| Cinematography | Anil Mehta |
| Edited by | Zubin Sheikh |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Kartavya (transl. Duty) is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film written and directed by Pulkit. The film is produced by Gauri Khan under the banner Red Chillies Entertainment. It stars Saif Ali Khan, Rasika Dugal, Sanjay Mishra, Zakir Hussain with Saurabh Dwivedi in a special appearance.[2] The film was officially announced on 3 February 2026 by Netflix.[3] It was released on 15 May 2026.
Plot[edit | edit source]
Inspector Pawan Malik is a Police inspector in the fictional small town of Jhamli who one day is deputed to provide security to a journalist. While escorting the journalist who is in a separate vehicle, they are intercepted by two bike-borne shooters. In the ensuing shootout, the journalist and one of the shooters is killed, and the other shooter escapes while Ashok, Pawan's subordinate is shot in the arm. Investigations reveal that the escaped shooter is a 16 year old boy Harpal, who has been told to carry out the shooting by one Anand Shri, a local spiritual guru. Anand Shri's men try to silence Harpal, to prevent him from revealing the journalist's murder plot to the police, but he manages to evade them. After the police arrest Harpal, Pawan realises he's just a child and a pawn, and takes pity on him. He promises Harpal that he'll keep him safe.
Meanwhile, Pawan’s brother Deepak, who is in love with Preeti, a woman from a different caste, elopes with her and secretly marries her because both their families oppose their inter-caste relationship. This angers both the fathers as well as the village panchayat who decide to carry out honour killings of Deepak and Preeti. Pawan takes Deepak and Preeti to a safehouse, telling them to lie low for a few days before disappearing.
The plot revolves around whether Pawan will be able to keep Harpal, and his brother Deepak and his wife Preeti safe. But eventually he fails to do any of that due to Ashok's betrayal.
Cast[edit | edit source]
- Saif Ali Khan as Inspector Pawan Malik
- Rasika Dugal as Varsha Malik, Pawan's wife
- Sanjay Mishra as Ashok Y
- Zakir Hussain as Harihar Malik, Pawan and Deepak's father
- Saurabh Dwivedi as Anand Shri (special appearance)
- Manish Chaudhari as Superintendent of Police Keshav
- Yudhvir Ahlawat as Harpal
- Saharsh Kumar Shukla as Nirmal
- Swastik Bhagat as Honey
- Saurabh Abrol as Deepak Malik, Pawan's younger brother
- Suraksha Gaire as Preeti, Deepak's wife
- Sanjay Taneja as Sarpanch
- Durgesh Kumar as Amar
- Anil Saini as Damodar
- Radhika Chauhan as Reema Dutta
- Anoop Sharma as Beni Prasad
Release[edit | edit source]
Kartavya began streaming on Netflix from 15 May 2026.[4]
Reception[edit | edit source]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 27% of 11 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.9/10.[5]
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 1.5 stars out of 5 and writes that "Despite heavyweights like Saif Ali Khan, Rasika Duggal and Sanjay Mishra in the Netflix film, it comes undone due to lazy, formulaic writing."[6] Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India feels that it has "Pride, Prejudice and Plenty of Spine".[7]
Tanisha Bhattacharya writing for NDTV rated it 3/5 stars and said that " Kartavya is taut, gritty and keeps you hooked. The real twists come from the understated characters".[8] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu observed that "A heartland noir that calculates the cost of conscience, ‘Kartavya’ struggles under the weight of structural sanitisation, a flattened antagonist, and misplaced star service."[9]
Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in said that "At least Kartavya has the good sense to wrap up in 108 minutes. There’s nothing more to say or show in a movie that’s utterly predictable and bereft of feeling."[10] Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times rated it 2.5/5 stars and call it "Kartavya feels like a film that had all the right ideas, but didn't find the emotional depth to bring them alive. It's commentary on caste and honour killings remains relevant, and parts of the investigation keep you mildly engaged."[11]
Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave 2 stars out of 5 and said that "Plot loopholes, unresolved arcs and feeble explanations for sudden betrayals, Kartavya's hastily-wrapped conclusions and gabby excuses makes it look like a demo reel for an OTT series."[12] Sana Farzeen of India Today gave 3 stars out of 5 and said that "The film's ideas land, but its soft-edged execution blunts the force of its anger."[13]
Devesh Sharma of Filmfare rated it 3.5/5 stars and writes that "Despite its gripping atmosphere, strong performances and morally complex protagonist, the film leaves behind the feeling of unrealised potential."[14] Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "Everything said and done, the ending is debatable, and that’s what makes Netflix’s Kartavya a must-watch. Despite the slow pace, this caste-crime thriller is consistently gripping."[15]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Kartavya (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ Raut, Rahul (28 April 2026). "Shah Rukh Khan-Saif Ali Khan's Netflix Crime Drama 'Kartavya' Locks Premiere Date (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ "Saif Ali Khan to Play a Cop in Shah Rukh Khan-Produced Netflix Film 'Kartavya'". The Hollywood Reporter India. 9 February 2026. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ "Saif Ali Khan's 'Kartavya' backed by Shah Rukh Khan, gets May 15 release date". The Times of India. 29 April 2026. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ "Kartavya". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ Gupta, Shubhra (15 May 2026). "Kartavya movie review: Cop jeep has more character than any human in Saif Ali Khan film". The Indian Express.
- ↑ Desai, Rahul (15 May 2026). "'Kartavya' Movie Review: Saif Ali Khan Nails the Rage in An Enterprising Crime Thriller". The Hollywood Reporter India.
- ↑ Bhattacharya, Tanisha (15 May 2026). "Kartavya Review: Saif Ali Khan Returns To Sacred Games Mode, Only Better". NDTV.
- ↑ Kumar, Anuj (15 May 2026). "'Kartavya' movie review: Saif Ali Khan overshadows a sterile heartland thriller". The Hindu.
- ↑ Ramnath, Nandini (15 May 2026). "'Kartavya' review: A colourless tale of a khaki-clad saviour". Scroll.in.
- ↑ Suri, Rishabh (15 May 2026). "Kartavya review: This Saif Ali Khan-Sanjay Mishra drama is watchable, but not truly gripping". Hindustan Times.
- ↑ Verma, Sukanya (15 May 2026). "Kartavya Review: Fascinating To Phusss!". Rediff.com.
- ↑ Farzeen, Sana (15 May 2026). "Kartavya review: Saif Ali Khan elevates a caste-crime thriller that plays too safe". India Today.
- ↑ Sharma, Devesh (15 May 2026). "Kartavya Movie Review: Saif Ali Khan Shines in This Gritty Cop Drama". Filmfare.
- ↑ Roy, Lachmi Deb (15 May 2026). "Netflix 'Kartavya' Movie Review: Saif Ali Khan starrer Shah Rukh Khan's production drama is morally complex, thought-provoking and engaging". Firstpost.