On May 15, 2026, the new crime drama Kartavya will debut on Netflix. Saif Ali Khan stars as a police officer who must deal with serious moral quandaries in this film produced by Gauri Khan and directed by Pulkit. Rasika Dugal, Sanjay Mishra, Zakir Hussain, Manish Chaudhari, and the acting debut of journalist Saurabh Dwivedi round out the ensemble cast. This is Pulkit's second directorial effort for the banner, following Bhakshak, and Khan's first work with Red Chillies.
The protagonist, Pawan Malik, is a police inspector who finds himself under investigation after protecting a journalist who is shot. Under pressure from higher-ups, he begins a hunt for the killer, which draws him into a labyrinth of political intrigue and systematic lying. His family is also directly threatened in another disagreement he's involved in with his sibling. Pawan must decide whether to put his family's immediate safety ahead of his professional oath in the face of this double dilemma.
Khan recently spoke with the media about how Kartavya is a moral narrative with heroes that doesn't give easy solutions. He compared it to his revered work in Omkara and said the production seemed like an independent film. He also mentioned how the storyline brought him back to a rural heartland environment. In his statement, director Pulkit said that the film's main conflict is on the human condition, exploring the limits to which people would go in order to meet conflicting demands.
Kartavya is billed as a character-driven, realistic story instead of an action thriller, according to the trailer that was released this week. The film delves into the Indian countryside to probe weighty themes of guilt, justice, and the price one must pay to do the right thing. The film, which is produced by Shah Rukh Khan's home banner and an accomplished cast, will be added to Netflix's lineup and will be available to stream worldwide starting this Friday.
