Imagine trying to inject lighthearted humor about a common painkiller like ‘Dolo 650’ right into the heart of a tense operation to dismantle a human trafficking ring. Such is the baffling creative choice in Vineeth Sreenivasan’s latest, Karam. While clever comedy relies heavily on both context and timing, this particular attempt at levity lands with a thud, leaving the audience scratching their heads at the incongruity.
These jarring comedic interjections, appearing in the film’s final act amidst harrowing scenes of brutal attacks and the devastating plight of trafficking victims, ironically emerge as some of the movie’s more memorable moments. This isn’t a testament to their success, but rather a stark indicator of the rest of the film’s shortcomings. It often feels as though the filmmakers were more focused on realizing a desire to shoot a typical action flick in a picturesque Western city, sacrificing a coherent narrative and compelling screenplay in the process. The result is a story steeped in cliché and predictability.
For a more effective treatment of human trafficking, one only needs to revisit Vineeth’s own 2013 film, Thira, which boasted a far more robust screenplay and the formidable presence of Shobhana to give it substantial weight. Noble Babu Thomas, who not only co-scripted the film but also stars in it (and previously delivered an impressive performance in Helen), sticks to worn-out tropes in Karam, offering no genuine surprises. He portrays Dev Mahendran, a disillusioned former military officer whose life has spiraled professionally and personally. Now, seemingly having moved on and built a happy family, his past inevitably catches up.
Much of the action unfolds in the fictional city of Lenarco, somewhere in Georgia. When Dev’s path crosses with a dangerous trafficking syndicate operating there, he abruptly switches back into hero mode to rescue the day. The characters, unfortunately, are written as little more than convenient placeholders for action sequences, making it difficult for viewers to feel any genuine emotional connection. The character arc of Sana (Audrey Miriam) hints at potential, but requires a significant suspension of disbelief to accept the sequence of events surrounding her.
Dev’s strained relationship with his father (Manoj K. Jayan), and its subsequent development, could have offered a poignant subplot. Instead, it occasionally veers into unintended comedy. Similarly, Baburaj’s portrayal of a clumsy henchman might have found its place in a quirkier film, but here, it clashes sharply with Karam’s otherwise dark tone. Such ill-fitting characters and unevenly distributed scenes suggest a lack of clear vision regarding the movie’s overall tone and direction. Even celebrated football manager Ivan Vukomanović makes an appearance, tasked merely with looking menacing, yet his character leaves virtually no impression. The action sequences, devoid of a gripping story to underpin them, are merely passable.
Ultimately, Karam stands as a bland and emotionally barren film about human trafficking, offering absolutely nothing new or insightful to the conversation.
Karam is currently running in theatres.