Right time, wrong planning. That’s the case of Vinod Kumar’s directorial Kaarni, which delves into the subject of homosexuality. The suspense-thriller inspired by an English film has been adapted to suit Indian sensibilities.

Cast: Duniya Rashmi, Niranth and Rajesh Ramakrishna
Director: Vinod Kumar

Tanu (Rashmi), who cannot speak, plots against five girls who bullied her brother, Narahari. Tanu’s scheming and plotting is the crux of the story.

Kaarni’s overaching theme is the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community with particular focus on adolescence, when acceptance is harder to come by from peers who may not understand the situation in totality.

A relevant and interesting subject which has come out at the right time, the film is an eye-opener in certain ways. However, a weak storyline and poor execution mar it. The story, set in a colonial bungalow where Tanu lives, is more like a cat-and-mouse game between Tanu and Shankar (Niranth), with the latter constantly plotting to kill the former and the episode is stretched beyond imagination.

The film’s story mostly lies in the second half, when the director explains the reason why the girl goes missing. Unfortunately, by that point, the attention of the audience is lost. There are no songs, but the background score does not have the impact it should for a suspense-thriller. The film is filled with dark frames, making for a difficult viewing. While Vinod had the right ingredients, he doesn’t seem to have stirred up the right dish.