Kartavya
Official release poster
Directed by Pulkit
Written by Pulkit
Produced by Gauri Khan
Starring
  • Saif Ali Khan
  • Rasika Dugal
  • Sanjay Mishra
  • Saurabh Dwivedi
Cinematography Anil Mehta
Edited by Zubin Sheikh
Music by Anurag Saikia
Production
company
Red Chillies Entertainment
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • 15 May 2026 (2026-05-15)
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 and Rasika Dugal.[2]

The film was officially announced on 3 February 2026 by Netflix.[3] It was released on 15 May 2026.

Cast

  • Saif Ali Khan as Inspector Pawan Malik
  • Rasika Dugal as Varsha Malik, Pawan's wife
  • Sanjay Mishra as Ashok Y
  • Saurabh Dwivedi as Anand Shri
  • Zakir Hussain as Harihar Malik, Pawan and Deepak's father
  • Manish Chaudhari as Keshav (Senior Inspector)
  • 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

Kartavya began streaming on Netflix from 15 May 2026.[4]

Reception

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 1.5 stars outof 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."[5] Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India feels that it has "Pride, Prejudice and Plenty of Spine".[6]

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".[7] 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."[8]

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."[9] 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."[10]

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."[11] 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."[12]

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."[13] 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."[14]

References

  1. ^ "Kartavya (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ Gupta, Shubhra (15 May 2026). "Kartavya movie review: Cop jeep has more character than any human in Saif Ali Khan film". The Indian Express.
  6. ^ Desai, Rahul (15 May 2026). "'Kartavya' Movie Review: Saif Ali Khan Nails the Rage in An Enterprising Crime Thriller". The Hollywood Reporter India.
  7. ^ Bhattacharya, Tanisha (15 May 2026). "Kartavya Review: Saif Ali Khan Returns To Sacred Games Mode, Only Better". NDTV.
  8. ^ Kumar, Anuj (15 May 2026). "'Kartavya' movie review: Saif Ali Khan overshadows a sterile heartland thriller". The Hindu.
  9. ^ Ramnath, Nandini (15 May 2026). "'Kartavya' review: A colourless tale of a khaki-clad saviour". Scroll.in.
  10. ^ Suri, Rishabh (15 May 2026). "Kartavya review: This Saif Ali Khan-Sanjay Mishra drama is watchable, but not truly gripping". Hindustan Times.
  11. ^ Verma, Sukanya (15 May 2026). "Kartavya Review: Fascinating To Phusss!". Rediff.com.
  12. ^ Farzeen, Sana (15 May 2026). "Kartavya review: Saif Ali Khan elevates a caste-crime thriller that plays too safe". India Today.
  13. ^ Sharma, Devesh (15 May 2026). "Kartavya Movie Review: Saif Ali Khan Shines in This Gritty Cop Drama". Filmfare.
  14. ^ 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.