Kalank

<p>Satya Chaudhry, diagnosed with , returns to her ancestral home in and urges Roop, a young woman from a modest background, to provide companionship to her husband, Dev Chaudhry, a liberal newspaper publisher. Roop initially refuses, deeming the request inappropriate despite her family’s past debts to Satya. Eventually, persuaded by her father, Dharampal, Roop agrees—on the condition that she marry Dev. Satya consents. After their marriage, Dev makes it clear that he remains devoted to Satya and proposes a platonic relationship with Roop. Isolated and dejected, Roop seeks solace in music, learning from the courtesan Bahaar Begum in the of . She also begins assisting at Dev’s publishing house and shows interest in writing about the social realities of the area. During her visits, she meets Zafar, a charismatic but embittered . Zafar, the illegitimate son of Bahaar Begum and Balraj Chaudhry—Dev’s father—seeks vengeance Dev, for his abandonment. Aware of Roop’s connection to the Chaudhrys, Zafar aims to seduce her to disgrace Balraj. Unaware of his motives, Roop falls in love with him. Meanwhile, her growing rapport with Dev brings Satya bittersweet satisfaction. Before dying, Satya urges Dev to embrace Roop and forgive Balraj. Zafar manipulates his radical friend Abdul Khan into stoking communal tensions, advocating for partition along religious lines—an ideology opposed by Dev and Balraj. When Balraj discovers Roop’s affair, he confronts Zafar and Bahaar, who disapproves of her son’s actions and warns Roop about his true intentions. Heartbroken, Roop consummates her marriage with Dev but confesses she cannot love him. As riots erupt across the city, the Chaudhrys attempt to flee to Amritsar with Zafar’s help. During the chaos, their loyal maid Saroj is killed. Zafar confesses that his feelings for Roop eventually turned genuine. While aiding their escape, he is fatally stabbed by Abdul, allowing Roop and Dev to board the train. A decade later, Roop and Dev recount their story to a journalist chronicling the . The film concludes with Roop reflecting on her past, noting that while both love and hatred are colored in red, it is love that bears the deepest stigma. was conceptualized by and his father nearly 15 years prior to its release. The role of Bahaar Begum was originally intended for , but following her death in 2018, was cast in her place. Amrita Mahal was appointed as , tasked with recreating an neighborhood, including a palace set constructed in , at an estimated cost of ₹15 crore. The film marked the reunion of producer and actor after (1995). began on 18 April 2018 at . and joined the shoot from 31 May. An introductory song featuring , , and with around 500 background dancers was filmed earlier in May. Rehearsals for another dance number with Dhawan, Kapur, and also commenced in late May. Leaked stills in early June showed Dixit in traditional attire, including an and . began filming on 14 June for a 15-day schedule; she is paired with Kapur in the film. Injuries to Bhatt, Dhawan, and Kapur delayed the third schedule, which was rescheduled and eventually resumed. Bhatt announced the completion of filming on 19 January 2019. The film’s budget has been variously reported. Officially, producers stated a budget of ₹150 crore, inclusive of print and advertising costs. Other sources estimated the core production budget to be around ₹80 crore. The soundtrack of was composed by , with lyrics written by . It was released by on 22 March 2019. The first single, “Ghar More Pardesiya,” was released on 18 March 2019, followed by “First Class” on 22 March. The title track, “Kalank,” was released on 30 March. Two more singles, “Tabaah Ho Gaye” and “Aira Gaira,” were released on 9 April and 13 April, respectively. was initially scheduled for release on 19 April 2019 but was advanced to 17 April 2019 to capitalize on the extended weekend. A special screening was held for select audiences on 14 April. The film was certified by the and the with a runtime of 166 minutes. It was released worldwide on 17 April 2019 across 5,300 screens, making it the widest of the year. The film became available for streaming on in July 2019. opened to strong initial numbers, earning ₹21.60 crore on its first day, making it the highest opening day collection for a Bollywood film in 2019 at the time. However, it was unable to sustain its momentum in subsequent days. The film eventually grossed ₹95.65 crore in India and ₹50.66 crore in overseas markets, for a worldwide total of ₹146.31 crore. Despite recovering its production costs, the film was ultimately declared a box-office failure due to high expectations and declining audience turnout after the initial days. received mixed reviews from critics. While its visual aesthetics—including cinematography, production design, costume work, and music—were widely praised, the film drew criticism for its screenplay, direction, pacing, and narrative depth. Rachit Gupta of awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling it “a true labour of love” and commending its visual appeal and strong performances. of also rated it 3 out of 5, describing it as “an operatic fantasy” and “visually stunning,” though requiring suspension of disbelief. writing for gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, praising Madhuri Dixit, Alia Bhatt, and Varun Dhawan’s performances but labeling the film “stunning, but soulless.” rated it 2 out of 5, calling the film disappointing despite its strong cast. Shubhra Gupta of gave it 1.5 stars out of 5, criticizing the film for being overly staged and emotionally inert. of appreciated the film’s themes of love and reconciliation and praised Bhatt and Dixit’s screen presence. Nandini Ramnath of felt the film’s elaborate sets and visual grandeur created emotional distance, ultimately detracting from the story’s intended impact.</p>