Karthik Calling Karthik BD Review - Eros UK

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Karthik Calling Karthik BD Review – Eros UK Version
When I noticed this on Lovefilm site available for rent just 4 days back I thought it will be a good idea to try it out first by renting since I lost my faith and trust on Eros after they massacred their last few releases. So, how is the KCK BD from Eros? Read on…

The Movie
I actually quite enjoyed the movie when it came out. I think Bollywood needs this kind of movies to diversify from the typical formula films that I have lost all interest to see. The movie also deals with the subject of schizophrenia which is perhaps the first time in Bollywood (although this is kind of done to death in Hollywood). I was quite impressed with the style, the script and making of the movie. The director has done a commendable job in making a movie that kept audience guessing without deviating from the main mood of the film. It has a good script (although some flaws are there) and from the start the movie goes into it straight away…

The casting of Farhan is perfect for the film and he has done a great job. He made his character believable. Farhan didn’t have to try a lot to get into the character and the mannerisms as in real life he is very close to the dynamic Karthik in the movie. I always consider Farhan as a better director than actor but with this movie it was like the role was made for him and he delivered. Deepika has done ok but not so great. She looks good but she needs to act a lot better than this. One noticeable flaw to me was Deepika’s handling of Farhan’s situation when she came to know about the problem. I think the script could have been better and engaging on that part.

The movie has some great background score and couple of good songs. There is a very distinct visual style to the movie. The movie has a very fresh appeal supported by excellent acting from the lead role, great art direction and cinematography and to top it up well directed and attempted. Going by the subject and treatment of the film it is quite clear that the movie was not meant for the ‘Mango People (aam aadmi)’ and was more targeted towards the urban population and it has succeeded in that respect. The movie also has some finer touches which many missed while watching the movie and I must give the director credit for that. Watch the BD and hopefully you will notice some interesting elements.

Overall, a good movie. Could have been better but I am happy see this kind of movies attempted in India and that is enough for a good pat on the back and my rating.

Blu-Ray Review
Coming to the PQ and AQ review, I am happy to say that this BD is one of the best or perhaps the best Eros BD I have seen so far. I was quite skeptical about the PQ more than the AQ but Eros has come out in spades in both departments…

Picture Quality

• Indoor scenes are very filmic looking and it perfectly creates the mood of the movie.
• Presence of healthy grain in the image. DNR is not an issue here and some of the scenes kind of jump at you with detail.
• There is a 3D kind of feel to the movie in certain scenes and it really works well
• Color – After a long time I saw a BD that has excellent color integrity and no bleeding or banding. The film uses a very unique color tone and it is rendered very well. I must say skin tones and gradation of color is excellent (please don’t look for natural skin tones on this movie)
• Sharpness is excellent and close-ups look great. Farhan Akhtar has got one of the most textured faces and hair in the industry so you might notice that part of the screen where he is present appearing sharper than the rest. In the same shot Deepika might appear softer (skin and hair) while Farhan looks razor sharp. Overall sharpness is great.
• A solid image that one can enjoy on HD. The overall effect is that of some quality Hollywood releases.
• Good black level with nice and inky blacks.
• Shadow detail is very good overall.

Overall, excellent and I wish Love Aaj Kal and some other Eros BDs had this kind of image. Very impressed.


The plus points outweighs some minor niggles of the PQ I noticed. Most of you may not notice them.

• Contrast is slightly boosted (not bad though) making some daylight objects loose detail or mild burn (Shirts/ clothes etc)
• There is a slight hint of Edge enhancement, again not bad but you might notice them from time to time on peoples outlines and some objects. But the effect is well within the tolerance level. If you have picky eye, you will notice it.
• The black level in some scenes is bit elevated which makes the background slightly washed out like but it is not throughout the movie. If the source was untouched while authoring this can be attributed to the source or the way it was filmed and not corrected in post production.

Audio Quality

• A good surprise – there is only one audio track – The DTS HD MA. It is good that Eros has not offered any extra redundant tracks. The track is excellent and and for the first time this Eros BD is not loud like their earlier ones. It seems they are listening.
• The track is very refined and offers an excellent soundstage with clear voice and effects. The LFE channel is excellent and not very boomy (although one or two instances it was slightly overpowering). The occasional balanced LFE rumbles will put a smile on your face. Mid range is excellent as well although a slight refinement would have helped. Great stuff.
• Rear effects are equally good and works very well to support the movie and creates the necessary listening environment. Songs were nice to listen and have good separation.
• Background score is great and well separated.

Again few minor niggles – not serious

• A couple of instances where the bass was bit boomy but not objectionable.
• Few effects like rains were good but could have been better with more rear involvement. I guess a filter was used which cut off some low frequency sounds.
• The biggest issue fortunately has nothing to do with the main feature – The main menu. The track used in the main menu is terribly loud and distorted and might make you mad but once you select the main feature, the sound captivates you with definition and finesse.

This is going to be one of the few reference BD for audio quality.

Note:
I don’t review extras or additional items on BD. Just to let you know this BD has no extras at all. Not sure if the extras would come in a separate DVD as I only rented the main feaure. The menu is nice with the Telephone operation.

There is a Play all songs menu and it works great and does not end up in sequence after a song ends.
There is no Audio setup on the BD as there is only one track (so don’t look for it)

I do not have a PC based player hence I can't do screenshots. Hope some one will be able to add some screeenshots later.

Conclusion:
Well, when I popped the BD, I was not hoping to be blown away and thought it would be another crap Eros release but after watching the movie I must say I am impressed and to me this is perhaps the best BD from Eros in terms of PQ and AQ and one of the best BD from bollywood so far. I found some minor issues but they are not bad enough to score it down. Good picture integrity supported by good audio qualities make this worthy of collection. I am going to buy this for sure.

If anyone from Eros is reading this, please accept my thanks and hopefully this is the birth of a new Eros and not an exception.

We, as consumers will definitely praise and thank for good work and we just expect you to deliver quality for our money. Thanks Eros for producing a great BD.

Highly recommended from me. You guys wil enjoy this BD especially people who liked the movie.

My Rating
Movie: 4.00
Video: 4.35
Audio: 4.35
Overall Quality Score: 4.25