Kakuda Movie Review: The laughs and chills go missing in this horror comedy

In the quaint town of Ratodi, nestled somewhere in the Hindi belt, lurks a bizarre tale that defies logic and reason. Enter Kakuda, a ghostly dwarf clown who haunts men every Tuesday at precisely 7:15 PM. His curse? If they dare to close a small door-like window in their homes, they are doomed to grow a hunchback and perish within thirteen days.

Director Aditya Sarpotdar's film Kakuda, penned by Avinash Dwivedi and Chirag Garg, ventures into realms of absurdity that stretch the imagination. In this farcical narrative, Sunny (Saqib Saleem), on the eve of his wedding to Indira (Sonakshi Sinha), falls victim to Kakuda's inexplicable curse. Despite its attempts at seriousness, the film struggles to evoke genuine fear or suspense, failing to convince viewers of the characters' peril.

The plot unfolds with the introduction of Victor (Riteish Deshmukh), a ghost hunter enlisted to combat Kakuda's malevolent presence. However, the execution of this ghostbusting mission lacks finesse, resembling a parody more than a genuine thriller. While Kakuda's eerie appearance occasionally sparks intrigue, the overall reactions of the characters veer confusingly between fear and indifference, undermining any sense of genuine dread.

The film's feeble attempts at humour fall flat, failing to provoke even a chuckle. Despite Kakuda's potentially menacing backstory, the narrative fails to deliver a compelling rationale or sustained suspense. Even Riteish Deshmukh's talents are squandered in a role caricatured beyond redemption.

Sonakshi Sinha delivers a commendable portrayal of Indira, injecting a sense of groundedness amidst the film's whimsicality. Her character serves as a beacon of strength and reason, navigating the increasingly bizarre circumstances with a blend of determination and wit. Saqib Saleem, portraying the unfortunate Sunny, brings a sincere vulnerability to his role. His portrayal captures the essence of a man caught in a supernatural predicament, grappling with disbelief and desperation as events unfold. Even amidst the film's comedic missteps, Riteish Deshmukh's charismatic presence and comedic timing inject energy into the narrative but his efforts aren’t enough to save the film. Aasif Khan, who plays Saqib’s best friend Kilwish, elicits a few laughs through his deadpan delivery.

We can’t believe that Aditya Sarpotdar, who gave us the sleeper hit horror comedy Munjya just a few weeks ago can go so lax over his next release, which also belongs to the same genre. The film tries to replicate the formula put forward by Stree but hasn’t been able to successfully build on it. It leaves you unsatisfied at the end of it all.

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