Kalank - 2019

Kalank is a 2019 Hindi-language period romantic drama film written and directed by Abhishek Varman. The young Roop (Alia Bhatt) is caught between her newfound love for Zafar (Varun Dhawan) and her respect for her husband Dev (Aditya Roy Kapur) in this fascinating love story set during the Indian Partition. Their backstories and heartbreaking love narrative are revealed as India's history takes a historic turn that cannot be reversed.

It was also produced by Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Sajid Nadiadwala under the banner of Dharma Productions and Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, with Fox Star Studios serving as the presenter and distributor. Madhuri Dixit, Sonakshi Sinha, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Sanjay Dutt are among the ensemble cast of the movie, which is set in pre-independence British society.

Kalank, the biggest Bollywood release of 2019, debuted on 5,300 screens throughout the world on April 17. With an estimated box office revenue of 146.31 crores, the movie was a financial flop. Upon its premiere, it got mixed reviews, with some praising its soundtrack, cinematography, production design, costumes, and ensemble cast performances and others criticizing its direction, story, screenplay, and length.

Table Of Content

• Details

• Story

• Release

• Reviews

• Rating

• Casting

• Crew

• Character Analysis

• Songs

• Behind the scenes

• Box Office Collection

• Awards

• Interesting Facts

• How to Book a Personalised Celebrity Message from a celebrity similar to celebrities from ‘Kai Po Che’ on Tring?

Details

Story

Play

Satya Chaudhry's doctor informs her that she has cancer and would pass away soon. She returns to her hometown in the Rajputana region and asks Roop, a childhood friend, to provide companionship for her liberal newspaper publisher husband Dev Chaudhry. Roop repeatedly rejects Satya's proposal, but she eventually changes her mind after being persuaded by her father, Dharampal, and agrees on the condition that she will wed Dev, which Satya accepts. Dev informs Roop that he still loves Satya and that their connection will only be friendly and platonic once they get married. Roop, who is depressed, learns how to play the piano from Bahaar Begum, the madam of a brothel. 

She also starts working at her husband's publishing firm to put her knowledge to use. Roop exhibits an interest in writing about the state of the neighbourhood where the brothel is located, during which she encounters Zafar, a womanising blacksmith.

Zafar wishes to inflict vengeance on his parents, Bahaar Begum and Balraj Chaudhry (who abandoned Zafar after his extramarital romance with Bahaar ended) by seducing Roop, who is married to Balraj's legitimate son, Dev. Roop misinterprets Zafar's motives and falls in love with him. She also develops a friendship with Dev, much to Satya's delight and grief. Satya perishes after pleading with Dev to give Roop another chance and to forgive Balraj for his infidelity. In yet another attempt to embarrass Balraj, Zafar instils communal animosity in his friend, Abdul Khan, by advocating religious partition of India, which Balraj and Dev oppose.

Balraj confronts Bahaar and Zafar after learning of Roop and Zafar's love. Bahaar, who opposes Zafar's approach, warns Roop and informs her of Zafar's true objectives. Roop marries Dev despite her heartbreak, but she believes that she will never be able to love him. 

As Abdul's political attitude gains traction, riots against Hindus and Sikhs break out in the city, prompting the Chaudhrys to leave for Amritsar with the assistance of Zafar, but not before Saroj, the kind maid, is cruelly stabbed to death. Despite his initial intentions, Zafar admits to Roop that he gradually fell in love with her. As boarding a train, Abdul stabs Zafar four times in the stomach with a dagger, as Roop and Dev flee.

Release

Kalank was originally set to be released on April 19, 2019, however due to the long weekend, the date was moved to April 17, 2019. Prior to the film's premiere, a special screening for select audiences was organised on April 14, 2019. Kalank, which has a duration of 166 minutes and was certified by the British Board of Film Classification and the Australian Classification Board, was released internationally on April 17th. The film was released on 5,300 screens globally, making it the most widely distributed Indian film of 2019. Kalank became available on Amazon Prime Video as a VOD in July 2019.

Reviews

An epic love story set in the 1940s allows for a great deal of visual depth and delicacy. While 'Kalank' scales up the production in every manner, the world it recreates appears a touch too plush and far from reality at times. The film contains riveting frames full of spectacular images recorded by cinematographer Binod Pradhan, while the music by Pritam includes standout songs like as 'Ghar More Pardesiya' and the 'Kalank' title tune. With a tighter edit, the story may have ended much sooner than 2 hours and 48 minutes. 'Kalank' is a labour of love that offers a story full of wonderful moments that will tug at your heartstrings.

The film's primary draw is its star-studded cast, and happily, the performances live up to the grandiose ensemble. Alia Bhatt leads the way in a portrayal that demonstrates both fragility and strength. Varun Dhawan looks excellent for the part, presenting his incredibly toned body, and he demonstrates the incredible passion that his conflicted character requires. Another standout performance comes from Aditya Roy Kapur, who shines in his character's solemn silences and reserved attitude. Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Sanjay Dutt, and Sonakshi Sinha also contribute moments of exquisite drama. In his grey-shaded performance as Zafar's pal Abdul, Kunal Kemmu creates tension and thrills. The cast's collaborative efforts lend a punch to the 'Kalank' experience.

Rating 

ImDb rated the movie 3.5/10. An epic love story set in the 1940s allows for a great deal of visual depth and delicacy. 

Casting

• Varun Dhawan as Zafar Chaudhry

• Alia Bhatt as Roop Sami Chaudhry

• Aditya Roy Kapur as Dev Chaudhry

• Sonakshi Sinha as Satya Chaudhry

• Madhuri Dixit as Bahaar Begum

• Sanjay Dutt as Balraj Chaudhry

• Kunal Khemu as Abdul Khan

• Achint Kaur as Saroj

• Pawan Chopra as Dharampal Sami

• Hiten Tejwani as Ahmed Razi

• Kiara Advani as Lajjo

• Kriti Sanon in a special appearance in the song Aira Gaira

• Pavail Gulati as Aditya Khanna

 Crew

• Abhishek Varman - Director   

• Shibani Bathija - Story Writer 

• Hussain Dalal - Dialogue Writer

• Abhishek Varman - screenplay Writer

• Hiroo Johar - Producer

• Karan Johar - Producer

• Apoorva Mehta - Producer

• Sajid Nadiadwala - Producer

• Ankit Balhara - Music 

• Sanchit Balhara - Music 

• Pritam Chakraborty - Music 

• Amir Malik - Cinematography

• Binod Pradhan - Cinematography 

• Maxima Basu - Costume Design

• Ajay Kmr - Costume Design

• Manish Malhotra - Costume Design

• Ajeet Bacchas - Hair stylist

• Priyanka Borkar - Hair stylist

• Amit Gupta - Makeup artist

• Veerkar Jaychandra - Makeup artist

Character Analysis

• Varun Dhawan as Zafar Chaudhry

Zafar Character is presented as a lost boy seeking revenge from his own parents for abandoning him. His personality is of a loverboy popular among the ladies; the character is physically and mentally demanding as he is a fun-loving person with hidden motives.

• Alia Bhatt as Roop Sami Chaudhry

Roop is a depressed girl married to her bestfried’s husband who still loves his first wife and declared he will never love Roop. Her character progresses as a strong female as she starts working in her husband's publishing house to highlight the issue of brothels and she falls in love with Zafar and is in denial. 

• Aditya Roy Kapur as Dev Chaudhry

Dev Chaudhry personality is calm and loves his wife Satya the most but due to her health issue he remarried to Roop. Stuck in an unwanted marriage and society pressure his Character survives the hit of the dark past of his father.

• Sonakshi Sinha as Satya Chaudhry

Satya Chaudhry is shown as a loving wife and obedient daughter in law after knowing that she will die due to Cancer, so she is hell bent to match her childhood friend with her husband.

• Madhuri Dixit as Bahaar Begum

Bahaar Begum is the head of a brothel with extraordinary arts skills like dancing, singing, and many more. Her personality shows the regret of her past deeds and the pain of secrets which she carries.

• Sanjay Dutt as Balraj Chaudhry

Balraj Chaudhry is a well known personality in the society who has dark past hidden from others.

Songs

Behind the scenes

Varun Dhawan, who bulked up for his role in Abhishek Varman's Kalank, recalls filming the bullfight scenario. It was a very excruciating sequence, he recalls. It lasted about 7-8 days. To save time, he moved into a hotel in Goregaon, and because he had a knee problem and hamstring tear at the time, he had physios check him on a daily basis.The actor confesses that Zafar is the most physically and mentally demanding character he has ever played.

Box Office Collection

Kalank had a strong start at the box office, earning 21.60 crore on its first day. The film grossed 95.65 crore in India and 50.66 crore in overseas countries, for a total worldwide gross of 146.31 crore. But it couldn't keep up the enthusiasm and quickly suffered a drop in sales, eventually being deemed a box office flop.

Awards

Interesting facts

• Sridevi was originally cast in the role of courtesan Ishmat in the film. Madhuri Dixit will now play the part after her untimely death.

• The plot of the film was developed about 15 years ago by Yash Johar and his son, the film's producer, Karan Johar!

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