Kakuda (film)

Last updated

Kakuda
Kakuda poster.jpg
Official release poster
Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar
Written byAvinash Dwivedi
Chirag Garg
Produced by Ronnie Screwvala
Starring Riteish Deshmukh
Sonakshi Sinha
Saqib Saleem
CinematographyLawrence D'Cunha
Edited byFaisal Mahadik
Music byGulraj Singh
Production
company
Distributed by ZEE5
Release date
  • 12 July 2024 (2024-07-12)
Running time
116 minutes [1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Kakuda is a 2024 Hindi-language comedy horror film [2] directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, under RSVP Movies. [3] It stars Riteish Deshmukh, Sonakshi Sinha and Saqib Saleem in the lead roles. [4] [5] [6] It is written by Avinash Dwivedi and Chirag Garg. It was released on ZEE5 on 12 July 2024.

Contents

Plot

The story is set in Ratodi, a village cursed by the ghost Kakuda, who appears every Tuesday at 7:15 pm. Each house has a small door that must be opened at that time; if not, Kakuda enters, kicks the male resident responsible, causing a fatal hump to appear, and the victim dies after 13 days.

Sunny, a local, marries Indira despite her father’s objections. On their wedding night, Sunny forgets to open the small door and is cursed by Kakuda. Indira, skeptical of the supernatural, seeks medical help, but the curse persists. She then consults Victor, a ghost hunter, who investigates Kakuda’s origins.

Through their investigation, they learn Kakuda was once a kind circus dwarf who healed villagers with his right kick but was falsely accused of an affair and killed by the villagers. Seeking revenge, his spirit now haunts the village.

Victor, Indira, Sunny, and others devise a plan to defeat Kakuda by targeting his supernatural right leg. After a confrontation involving possession and deception, Victor manages to sever Kakuda’s leg, breaking the curse. Sunny recovers, and the villagers are freed. The story ends with a hint that the supernatural threat may not be entirely gone.

Cast

Production

The film was announced by the producer Ronnie Screwvala on 20 July 2021. [7]

Filming

Principal photography of the movie started on 20 July 2021. [8] [9] [10] The film was shot in places across Gujarat including the village called Vaso (Kheda District) and near the port area of Mandvi, Kutch. [11] The unit wrapped up on 17 September 2021. [12] [13]

Release

Initially scheduled for a theatrical release, it was changed to a streaming release in ZEE5 for 12 July 2024. [14] [15] [16]

Music

Kakuda
Soundtrack album by
Gulraj Singh
Released05 July 2024
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Length6:56
LanguageHindi
Label Zee Music Company

The soundtrack is composed by Gulraj Singh and lyrics is written by Manoj Yadav.

Track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Bhasma" Divya Kumar, Gulraj Singh3:04
2."Shukra Guzaar" Aditi Paul, Gulraj Singh3:52
Total length:06:56

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 20% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4/10. [17]

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express commented "‘Kakuda’ jumps into a predictable hump, and stays there." [18] Reviewing for Rediff.com Deepa Gahlot gave the film 2 stars only and stated "Kakuda has a paint-by-numbers, catch-the-trend-before-it-fades feel to it." [19] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times gave a negative verdict "The film suffers from an extremely dull screenplay where events unfold in the most bizarre manner, not laving any impact." [20] Sana Farzeen of India Today observed "The story is quite a winner, but their screenplay could have been tighter." [21]

Devesh Sharma of Filmfare also gave a negative review "The film's feeble attempts at humour fall flat, failing to provoke even a chuckle." [22]

Shreyanka Mazumdar of News18 gave 3.5/5 stars and commented "Despite the flaws, the film is an enjoyable film that effectively uses folklore to create a sense of pervasive dread." [23] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in explored "The movie has very mild scares, ample tomfoolery, and no ambition of being anything beyond a time-passer." [24]

References

  1. "EXCLUSIVE: CBFC replaces 'tits' with 'kids' in Riteish Deshmukh-Sonakshi Sinha starrer Kakuda; also removes 'harami', 'c*****a'". Bollywood Hungama . 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  2. "Kakuda: Victor aka Riteish Deshmukh reveals he has a setting with ghost; Watch". OTTPlay. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  3. Taank, Shagun (20 July 2021). "Kakuda: Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh And Saqib Saleem Are "Triple Trouble" In New Film". NDTV . Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  4. "Kakuda Movie (2024) | Release Date, Review, Cast, Trailer, Watch Online at Zee5". Gadgets 360 . Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  5. "'Kakuda' to star Sonakshi Sinha and Riteish Deshmukh". Telangana Today . PTI. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  6. "Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh to star in Bollywood horror comedy 'Kakuda'". Gulf News . 20 July 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  7. "Ronnie Screwvala's 'Kakuda' to star Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh". The Week . PTI. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  8. Srivastava, Samriddhi (20 July 2021). "Sonakshi Sinha and Riteish Deshmukh's horror-comedy Kakuda shoot begins today". India Today . Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  9. Bhasin, Shriya (20 July 2021). "'Kakuda' starring Riteish Deshmukh, Sonakshi Sinha goes on floors". India TV . Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  10. "Sonakshi Sinha, Saqib Saleem and Riteish Deshmukh come together for Kakuda". Filmfare . 20 July 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  11. Panchal, Komal RJ (20 July 2021). "Riteish Deshmukh, Sonakshi Sinha and Saqib Saleem start shooting for horror-comedy Kakuda" . The Indian Express . Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  12. "Sonakshi Sinha pens a note of gratitude for her team as they wrap up horror-comedy film Kakuda : Bollywood News". Bollywood Hungama . 18 September 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  13. "⚡Kakuda: It's a Wrap for Sonakshi Sinha's Upcoming Horror-Comedy Movie in Bhuj". LatestLY. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  14. Sharma, Bhavana (22 June 2024). "Kakuda OTT Release Date Confirmed". Deccan Chronicle . Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  15. Verma, Prerna (21 June 2024). "Kakuda OTT Release: When and where to watch Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh and Saqib Saleem's spooky comedy". Pinkvilla . Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  16. Mukherjee, Anindita (21 June 2024). "Sonakshi Sinha looks terrified in 'Kakuda' 1st poster with Riteish Deshmukh". India Today . Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  17. "Kakuda | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  18. Gupta, Shubhra (12 July 2024). "Kakuda movie review: This Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh film is out to plague us". The Indian Express . Retrieved 12 July 2024.Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
  19. Gahlot, Deepa (11 July 2024). "Kakuda Review: Neither Scary Nor Funny". Rediff.com . Retrieved 11 July 2024.Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
  20. Rawal Kukreja, Monika (12 July 2024). "Kakuda review: Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh's horror comedy is bland and silly". Hindustan Times . Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  21. Farzeen, Sana (11 July 2024). "'Kakuda' Review: Sonakshi Sinha-Riteish Deshmukh's film is all humour, no horror". India Today . Retrieved 12 July 2024.Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
  22. Sharma, Devesh (11 July 2024). "Kakuda Movie Review | Filmfare.com". Filmfare . Retrieved 21 July 2024.Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
  23. Mazumdar, Shreyanka (11 July 2024). "Kakuda Review: Riteish Deshmukh Delivers Impressive Performance, But Sonakshi Is the Scene-Stealer". News18 . Retrieved 17 July 2024.Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg
  24. Ramnath, Nandini (11 July 2024). "'Kakuda' review: Very mild scares and cheerful silliness". Scroll.in . Retrieved 17 July 2024.