There are plenty of characters in the brand-new Disney+ Hotstar special, Karmma Calling, that was released on January 26, 2024. Most of the characters in the show have shades of gray to them, as they have qualities that keep them from being placed in any particular bracket. They have their reasons for why they were motivated to do something that, in retrospect, might have affected other people as well. Karmma Talwar, the female lead in the show, is one such character who might have had the viewer’s support, but does that make her actions right from a broader perspective? Let’s read the article to find out.
Spoilers Ahead
Who Was Karmma Talwar?
Karmma Talwar, aka Ambika Mehra, was the only daughter of Satyajeet Mehra, an employee of Kothari Industries who was wrongfully accused of committing financial fraud through a bank run by his employers. There were many bogus cases filed against him, which led to a wrongful conviction. Her father ended up having to spend the rest of his life in jail. Karmma, who was raised believing her father was the monster who caused the deaths of many innocent customers of the bank due to a scam, received a bunch of letters from him about his death, which painted a real picture of the scam.
At the end of the letters, Karmma was asked to forget the Kotharis and move on, but she could not bring herself to do that as the family robbed her of a normal childhood. They made Satyajeet Mehra a scapegoat but forgot to factor in his daughter, who might come back one day seeking revenge. Karmma wanted to ruin their reputation on a public stage, just like Satyajeet was humiliated.
Karmma had memories of spending time with her father at the Ali Baug house, and that motivated her to formulate a tight plan. Karmma Talwar rented the bungalow next to Indrani and Kaushal Kothari’s mansion, which she eventually purchased. The whole idea was to unsettle Indrani and make her keep guessing who the young woman who moved into the neighborhood without their knowledge could be. Karmma made sure her record was clean because she expected Indrani to carry out a deep and thorough background check on her. She left no stone unturned, making sure nothing could be used against her.
What Was Her Plan Of Action?
Her first target was the wealth manager Nikhil Sethia, who many years ago had befriended her father and acquired a job with Kothari industries. Nikhil was the one who helped Kaushal Kothari cover up the scam, which was pinned on Satyajeet Mehra. He did not think twice before backstabbing his friend and moving ahead in life with the money he received from the Kotharis to stay quiet. He eventually became Kaushal’s wealth manager. Karmma planned to tank his company by making him invest in a bogus stock. This investment cost him his wealthy clients and led to his downfall.
Muzzamil Sayyed was her next target, a lawyer turned Rajya Sabha MP with whom Karmma had worked as well before starting her own company. Muzzamil was the lawyer who helped make the case stronger against Satyajeet. Muzammil was the frontrunner to become the Union Law Minister, thanks to the support of Kaushal and Indrani. Karmma discreetly blackmailed the man with an old video of his that documents him having intercourse with a minor. If the video was leaked, it would torpedo his career. Kaushal and Muzzamil try to get rid of the video when the girl who was with Muzzamil appears at a party thrown for the man of the hour. This forced Muzzamil to step away from his plans to become the Union Minister. Karmma leaked the video anyway, which ruined all his chances to enter the political arena.
Sunita, the spiritual healer, was her next target, the woman who ran the childcare home that sheltered Karmma Talwar/Ambika Mehra after her father was taken away. The woman inflicted trauma on the young girl, which led to years of mental agony that Karmma/Ambika went through up until her adulthood. Sunita kept the young girl locked in a dark room to punish her for being the daughter of Satyajeet.
Years later, Sunita had become a spiritual healer with many rich clients under Kitty, and she had many secrets about them. Karmma/Ambika joined her as a client who was talking about her issues with becoming intimate with her boyfriend. Karmma planted a camera in the room to gather footage of other female clients. She used the footage and leaked it during a charity function hosted by Indrani. Karmma conveniently added her videos as well to make sure no one would point fingers at her. Sunita was implicated, and Indrani made sure the woman was sent to jail for unlawfully recording their sessions.
Karmma/Ambika made sure they paid for the crimes they committed, and that would include having to move away from the limelight after being publicly shamed. Ambika Mehra as Karmma had to retaliate as she was filled with rage that could be doused only after getting her father with moral justice.
Were Indrani And Kaushal Her Main Targets?
Karmma Talwar initially exposed the affair Kaushal was having with Dolly, Indrani’s best friend. This is the kind of incident Indrani will probably not get over because her husband of many years betrayed her. Karmma made sure Indrani was shaken up by the news of her husband’s infidelity.
But many of her memories also indicated that Indrani was in love with Satyajeet. There was no conversation about who Ambika’s mother could be. The whole reason why Indrani needed to be punished was because she claimed to have been in love with Satyajeet, but she committed the ultimate betrayal by not speaking in favor of him. Ambika, as Karmma, took her own time to execute her revenge plan on the powerful Indrani Kothari.
Dolly sadly becomes collateral damage in Karmma’s quest to finish Indrani and Kaushal Kothari. This is where her gray character traits show up. Karmma had to make sure someone would pay for Indrani’s crimes. After Indrani and Kaushal’s marital troubles were revealed, Dolly had to be kept at bay to make sure she never came back seeking her revenge.
Indrani’s bodyguard, Sameer, dug into Karmma’s past, and eventually, that got him in touch with the woman whose identity was stolen by Ambika Mehra. Even though Sameer was close to exposing the impostor, the real Karmma attacked him, possibly to hunt down Ambika and seek answers for her actions. Karmma could be in trouble in the next season, as her secret is very close to being exposed. As the show began with Karmma and her engagement to Indrani’s son Ahan, Karmma may have crossed hurdles to make sure the milestone event took place.
Why Was She Keeping Vedant At Bay?
Vedant Kohli was the owner of Café Bombil in Ali Baug, and along with his brother Adarsh Kohli, they were witnesses to the affluent lives of the rich in Ali Baug. Vedant was also a childhood friend of Ambika Mehra, but as Karmma, she chose to stay silent about the friendship they shared before she was taken away after her father’s arrest. Ambika had a pup named Simba, which Vedant took care of. Simba could recognize Ambika, but Vedant could not understand why his pet acted strangely in her presence.
Vedant had grown to like Karmma, and he eventually confessed his love for her. Vedant was sure Karmma had some connection with the place, but he was having a hard time deciphering who she was. Karmma may have had some love for him in their younger days, but she had bigger goals in mind that she wanted to fulfill. She had to reject his proposal, claiming she loved Ahan Kothari. Vedant could not figure out her real identity till the end of season one, and a lot would be uncovered in the next one.
Did She Manipulate Ahan To Fall In Love With Her?
Ahan Kothari, the oldest son of Indrani, had a difficult past and has lived a complicated life under the shadow of his rich and influential parents. He was under a lot of pressure as an heir apparent. His pressures were eased when Karmma walked into his life, and they began courting each other. Karmma planned to make Indrani uncomfortable with the relationship between their new neighbor and her son. Ahan began spending a lot of time with her and made her a part of many parties and functions thrown by Indrani.
Indrani could not help but become accustomed to having Karmma around her. The more Indrani reacted, the closer Ahan and Karmma became as a couple. There was no indication that Karmma eventually fell in love with Ahan, because that was never her plan. She wanted to destroy Kaushal’s company from within and supported Ahan’s plan to step away from his father’s business.
Karmma postured herself as a person who initially did not want to date Ahan primarily because of his surname. This impressed Ahan, and they continued dating. Ahan had his insecurities, which were fueled by his best friend, Krish. Even though they overcame their issues in the relationship, their first falling out happened over Vedant. Ahan was jealous of the closeness Vedant and Karmma shared, and he was willing to believe she was stringing both along. Karmma panicked as she could not afford to lose Ahan at this juncture, and she would not want to give Indrani a chance to further create a rift between the two.
Sadly, Karmma and Ahan broke up. Ahan wanted to propose marriage to her, but it seemed that would happen in the second season. Ahan and Karmma would have to catch up, and the woman would make sure that happened for her plan to move ahead. Just like Dolly, Karmma again placed Ahan as collateral damage without realizing the emotional repercussions of her moves. Ahan would be devastated if he were ever made aware of her plans, which would probably end the relationship. He would not want to be with someone who wanted to destroy his parents. There was a metaphorical line that Karmma may have crossed, and only time and the second season will tell the consequences of her moves.
