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''Kabir Singh'' is a 2019 Indian
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
-language
romantic drama film Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...
co-written, co-edited and directed by
Sandeep Reddy Vanga Sandeep Reddy Vanga is an Indian film director, screenwriter and editor known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu and Hindi cinema, Hindi cinema. He is known for his Film noir, gritty and intense Drama (film and television), dramas, with a ...
in his
Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
debut, and jointly produced by
Bhushan Kumar Bhushan Kumar Dua (born 27 November 1977) is an Indian film producer and music producer. He is the chairman and managing director of Super Cassettes Industries Limited, also known as T-Series (company), T-Series. He is known for his work in Bol ...
and Krishan Kumar under
T-Series Films Super Cassettes Industries Private Limited, doing business as T-Series, is an Indian music record label and film production company founded by Gulshan Kumar on 11 July 1983. It is primarily known for Hindi film soundtracks and Indi-pop music. ...
and
Murad Khetani Murad Khetani (; born 3 September 1973) is an Indian film producer and former businessman who primarily works in Hindi films. He started off his career as co-producer with the 2013 film '' Mickey Virus''. He had his breakthrough with 2019 roman ...
and Ashwin Varde under Cine1 Studios. A remake of Vanga's own
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
film ''
Arjun Reddy ''Arjun Reddy'' is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, and produced by his brother Pranay Reddy Vanga's company Bhadrakali Pictures. The film stars Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey ...
'' (2017), it stars
Shahid Kapoor Shahid Kapoor (; born 25 February 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. Initially recognised for portraying romantic roles, he has since taken on parts in action films and thrillers, and is the recipient of List of awards and n ...
as the titular protagonist, a surgeon, who spirals into self-destruction when his girlfriend, played by
Kiara Advani Alia Advani (born 31 July 1991), known professionally as Kiara Advani (), is an Indian actress who works in Hindi and Telugu films. Advani is a recipient of several accolades including an IIFA Award and two Zee Cine Awards, alongside nominati ...
, is forced to marry someone else.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
for ''Kabir Singh'' began in October 2018 and ended in March 2019. The film was theatrically released in India on 21 June 2019 and received mixed reviews. Kapoor's performance and the soundtrack, which has become popular since release, received praise. Grossing over 379
crore Crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes the quantity ten million (107) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. In many international contexts, the decimal quantity is formatted as 10,000,000, but when used in the context of the India ...
, it became the second highest-grossing Hindi film of 2019, and Kapoor's highest grossing solo-lead release.


Plot

Kabir Rajdheer Singh is the youngest son of wealthy business tycoon Rajdheer Singh and is studying at Delhi Institute of Medical Sciences. He has a rebellious personality with anger issues that gained him the title of a bully. After having a brawl with the members of the opposing team in an inter-college football match; Kabir is told to either apologise or leave, but he chooses to stay upon catching sight of a new student, Preeti Sikka. Kabir and his friends announce to the student body that Kabir has exclusively claimed Preeti. Initially timid, she adjusts to his overbearing attitude and eventually reciprocates his feelings, developing a romantic and physical relationship with him. Kabir graduates with an
MBBS A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...
degree and moves to
Mussoorie Mussoorie () is a hill station and a municipal board, in Dehradun city in the Dehradun district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is about from the state capital of Dehradun and north of the national capital of New Delhi. The hil ...
for further education. Despite the distance, their relationship strengthens over the next few years. After Preeti graduates, she introduces Kabir to her conservative parents, but her father Harpal catches them kissing and throws Kabir out. Harpal continues to oppose their relationship, despite Kabir's attempts to explain their love. Enraged, Kabir demands that Preeti choose between him and her family within the next six hours, or he will end their relationship. Preeti is later unable to reach him in time; feeling abandoned, Kabir injects himself with excessive
morphine Morphine, formerly also called morphia, is an opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin produced by drying the latex of opium poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as an analgesic (pain medication). There are ...
and remains unconscious for the next two days. Upon gaining consciousness, he learns that Preeti is being forced into an
arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of Marriage, marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures, a professional matchmaki ...
and gatecrashes the wedding party; Harpal has him beaten and arrested. After Kabir is released, his father, Rajdheer, ostracises him from the family for his antics. With his friend Shiva’s help, Kabir finds a rented flat and joins a private hospital as a surgeon. To cope with his emotions, he abuses drugs and alcohol and names his new pet dog Preeti. Within months, he becomes a successful surgeon and a
high-functioning alcoholic A high-functioning alcoholic (HFA) is a person who maintains jobs and relationships while exhibiting alcoholism. Many HFAs are not viewed as alcoholics by society because they do not fit the common alcoholic stereotype. Unlike the stereotypical a ...
both respected and feared by the hospital staff. His self-destructive behaviour and obsession worry his friends. While hungover on a day off, Kabir is called in to perform an emergency surgery for which he unwillingly agrees. During the procedure, he collapses from dehydration. Suspicious, the hospital staff takes his blood samples, which contain traces of alcohol and cocaine. A case is filed against him and during an in-house hearing, a broken Kabir admits to alcoholism and violation of medical ethics. As a result, his medical licence is suspended for five years and he is evicted from his flat. The next morning, he learns of his grandmother’s death; at the funeral, he and his father reconcile. Kabir also resolves to quit his habits. Some days later, Kabir spots a pregnant but dejected Preeti sitting in a park. He approaches and offers to raise the child with her if she is unhappy in her marriage. Initially silent, she bursts into angry tears, berates him for discarding her, and orders him to leave. Shiva then describes Kabir's obsession and self-destructive habits, which she was unaware of. Shocked, she confesses that she left her husband three days after the marriage and has been working in a clinic to support herself. Overcome with anger, especially after hearing about his casual affairs, she had refused to contact him. She reveals that her marriage was never consummated and that the child is Kabir's. They marry and reunite with their families, with Harpal apologising to them and the families coming together. The film ends showing Kabir and Preeti on a beach with their baby.


Cast


Production


Development

After the success of his debut, the 2017
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
film ''
Arjun Reddy ''Arjun Reddy'' is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, and produced by his brother Pranay Reddy Vanga's company Bhadrakali Pictures. The film stars Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey ...
'', writer and director
Sandeep Reddy Vanga Sandeep Reddy Vanga is an Indian film director, screenwriter and editor known for his works in Telugu cinema, Telugu and Hindi cinema, Hindi cinema. He is known for his Film noir, gritty and intense Drama (film and television), dramas, with a ...
wanted to remake it in
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
with
Ranveer Singh Ranveer Singh Bhavnani (; born 6 July 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Ranveer Singh, several awards, including five Filmfare Awards. He is among the highest- ...
. When it did not work out, he approached
Shahid Kapoor Shahid Kapoor (; born 25 February 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. Initially recognised for portraying romantic roles, he has since taken on parts in action films and thrillers, and is the recipient of List of awards and n ...
. However, producers Murad Khetani and Ashwin Varde of Cine1 Studios, who acquired the remake rights for Hindi, wanted
Arjun Kapoor Arjun Kapoor (born 26 June 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. Born to the Surinder Kapoor family, he is the son of film producers Boney Kapoor and Mona Shourie. Kapoor made his acting debut in 2012 with the drama '' Ishaqzaade ...
to play the male lead. Disappointed, Vanga said, "I've come to know that the remake rights of ''Arjun Reddy'' have been sold and it would star Arjun Kapoor. I am caught in a dilemma, as I've already locked Shahid for the role. It's a very embarrassing situation for me. I don't know how I'll face Shahid." In April 2018, however, it was officially announced that Shahid Kapoor would star, with Vanga returning as director.
Bhushan Bhushan is a male Indian given and family name. It may refer to: People *Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan (1924–2016), general secretary of the Communist Party of India *Amita Bhushan (born 1970), Indian politician *Bharat Bhushan (1920–1992), prom ...
and Krishan Kumar of
T-Series T series or T-Series may refer to: Technology * Apple T series, a family of processors * Canon T series, a line of single lens reflex cameras * Juniper T series, a core router * Sony Ericsson T series, a series of cell phones * SPARC T series, ...
also produced the film. The dialogue was written by Siddharth–Garima. Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran was selected as the cinematographer and Aarif Sheikh as editor. Vanga was confident that the remake would be even more hard-hitting than the original: "When I made ''Arjun Reddy'', I wasn't sure where to draw the line in terms of representation of certain things. I don't think I'd have to restrict myself when it comes to the Hindi version. I believe I'll have more freedom in Bollywood." The film's title ''Kabir Singh'' was announced on 25 October 2018.


Writing

Like the Telugu original, ''Kabir Singh'' too begins with a voiceover from the hero's paternal grandmother, but this time she is reciting a Kabir Doha. There are also geographical changes; the remake is set primarily in Delhi and Mumbai. Instead of caste conflict as in ''Arjun Reddy'', the heroine's father takes offence to Kabir's smoking and not being a
turban A turban (from Persian language, Persian دولبند‌, ''dolband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Commun ...
-wearing
Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
. For the remake, Vanga said he deployed less English than the original. "I've also tried to retain the colloquial quality in the Hindi dialogue." About the name Kabir Singh, he said, "There's a lot of melancholy in the name Kabir and a poetic side too." Vanga explained his reasons for choosing this as the film's title: "When we started work on the Hindi script, it was a very exciting journey. Kabir Singh, as the protagonist's name, came naturally, considering the character's graph. Kabir Singh has the same punch and madness of Arjun Reddy."


Casting

Shahid Kapoor portrays the title character, Kabir Rajdheer Singh. Although
Kiara Advani Alia Advani (born 31 July 1991), known professionally as Kiara Advani (), is an Indian actress who works in Hindi and Telugu films. Advani is a recipient of several accolades including an IIFA Award and two Zee Cine Awards, alongside nominati ...
was Vanga's first choice for the female lead character Preeti, things failed to materialise.
Tara Sutaria Tara Sutaria (born 19 November 1995) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She began her career as a singer in Disney India's reality show '' Big Bada Boom'' (2010) and transitioned to acting with the channel's sitcoms '' The Suite Life ...
was then announced, but left when a delay in the production of her debut film ''
Student of the Year 2 ''Student of the Year 2'' is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language teen romantic sports comedy film directed by Punit Malhotra and produced by Karan Johar under the Dharma Productions banner. A standalone sequel to the 2012 film ''Student of the Year' ...
'' (2019) caused scheduling conflicts. The makers then went back to Advani to play the role of Preeti, Vanga cited her performance in '' M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story'' (2016) as one of the reasons. According to Vanga, "Kiara epitomises the female character in the film to the T. She has the perfect combination of innocence (in terms of looks) and maturity (in terms of performance) that's so important for the character".
Arjan Bajwa Arjan Bajwa (born 3 September 1979) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi and Telugu films. He made his debut with the Telugu film Sampangi (2001). He transitioned to Hindi films with ''Woh Tera Naam Tha'' (2004) and gained recognit ...
was initially uninterested in playing Kabir's elder brother Karan Singh, but accepted at the insistence of Vanga, for whom he was the only choice to play the character. Amit Sharma, who appeared as Amit in the Telugu original, was chosen to reprise his role.


Filming

The makers considered beginning the shoot in August, but it was delayed to September as Vanga wanted Kapoor to grow his beard more for the role.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
eventually began on 21 October 2018 at Mumbai, four days before the announcement of the title. Filming also took place at Delhi and Mussoorie. Kapoor dons three different looks for the film. Regarding this he said, "There's a certain mind space and the present which the character is in and there's also the past which he has been part of. Along with this, there's the culmination. So, there are three distinct energies that the film needs." He went through substantial workouts to portray Kabir in two time periods; to achieve the character's "college boy" look, he shed 14 kilos of weight, and for the "puffy, groggy alcoholic" look, he worked out in a way that he would look "bigger but not muscular". Principal photography wrapped on 29 March 2019.


Soundtrack

The soundtrack is composed by
Mithoon Mithun Sharma, also known as Mithoon, is an Indian Hindi film music director, lyricist-composer and singer. Mithoon composed the Hindi song " Tum Hi Ho" from the 2013 Bollywood romantic film '' Aashiqui 2''. Mithoon received the Filmfare Awa ...
,
Amaal Mallik Amaal Mallik is an Indian music director, composer, singer, music producer, arranger, background scorer, performer and lyricist. He is the elder son of Daboo Malik and Jyothi Malik, and grandson of Sardar Malik. He debuted as a composer in 2 ...
, Vishal Mishra,
Sachet–Parampara Sachet–Parampara are an Indian music composer, vocalist and lyricist duo consisting of Sachet Tandon and Parampara Thakur. They're known for their work in Hindi films including ''Toilet: Ek Prem Katha'' (2017), ''Bhoomi (2017 film), Bhoomi'' ( ...
(a duo consisting of
Sachet Tandon Although its most usual definition is that listed under "packet" (see link above), a sachet can also mean a small scented cloth bag filled with herbs, potpourri, or Aroma compound, aromatic ingredients; or a small porous bag or packet (contai ...
and Parampara Thakur) and
Akhil Sachdeva Akhil Sachdeva is an Indian musician, singer and composer. His song ''Humsafar'' was featured in the Bollywood film Badrinath Ki Dulhania. In 2009, Sachdeva started as the lead vocalist of the Delhi-based music band, Nasha. His Bollywood journe ...
with lyrics written by
Irshad Kamil Dr. Irshad Kamil (born 5 September 1971) is an Indian poet and lyricist. His songs appeared in Bollywood films including ''Jab We Met'', '' Chameli'', '' Love Aaj Kal'', '' Rockstar'', '' Laila Majnu'', ''Aashiqui 2'', ''Raanjhanaa'', ''Highw ...
,
Manoj Muntashir Manoj Shukla (born 27 February 1976), better known by his stage name Manoj Muntashir Shukla, is an Indian lyricist, poet, dialogue writer, screenwriter & Co founder oT-Series Prarthana The Sound of Sanatan He wrote several Hindi songs for films ...
,
Kumaar Rakesh Kumar Pal, known mononymously as Kumaar, is an Indian lyricist who works in Hindi cinema. Some of his songs include "Rula Ke Gaya Ishq", " Tu Bhi Royega", "Dil Ki Aadat", " Baby Doll', " Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan", " Sooraj Dooba Hain", "Lo ...
and Mithoon. Harshavardhan Rameshwar composed the score. The song "Bekhayali" was popular even before its release, with several
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s available on YouTube. The soundtrack was also physically released on
vinyl record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog signal, analog sound Recording medium, storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, ...
.


Marketing

In a first-of-its-kind marketing deal, ''Kabir Singh'' became the first Bollywood film to have its very own theatre. As many as 15 PVR theatres in 15 cities across India would be renamed as "Kabir Singh Ka Theatre", with auditoriums reflecting the characteristics of the title character played by Kapoor.


Release

''Kabir Singh'' was released on 21 June 2019, worldwide on 3616 screens including 3123 screens in India. It is distributed by
AA Films AA Films is an Indian motion picture distribution company, owned by Anil Thadani. It mainly distributes Hindi films and Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of ...
within India. Cinestaan AA Distributors is distributed through Magic Cloud Media & Entertainment in overseas. White Hill Studios is also distributed in North America. Khetani chose not to release the film in Pakistan, following the
2019 Pulwama attack Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * '' Di ...
. The film received an 'A' (adults only) certificate from the
Central Board of Film Certification The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory Motion picture content rating system, film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of ...
(CBFC) with the CBFC asking the makers to modify a scene where a character is seen snorting drugs, and also asked for insertion of static warning messages against drug abuse in all such scenes.


Reception


Critical response

The film received mixed reviews, with criticism directed at it for allegedly glamorising
misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...
and
toxic masculinity The concept of toxic masculinity is used in academic and media discussions to refer to those aspects of hegemonic masculinity that are socially destructive, such as misogyny, homophobia, and violent domination. These traits are considered "toxi ...
. Ronak Kotecha of ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, saying, "While ''Kabir Singh'' is a welcome change from stereotypical love stories, this kind of love affair needs some getting used to. Through his protagonist, Sandeep bets all his cards on his leading man, making sure you either love him or hate him, but you can't ignore him." Trade analyst and critic
Taran Adarsh Taran Adarsh (born 13 June 1965) is an Indian film critic and trade analyst. He is best known for giving trade figures and box office updates on social media, as well as his reviews for Bollywood Hungama. Career Taran Adarsh started his journ ...
concurred with Kotecha on the film being an unconventional story and rated it three and half stars out of five. Declaring it "powerful", he praised Vanga's storytelling and Kapoor's performance. He felt that the film was a newfangled romantic tale.
Anna M. M. Vetticad Anna Marie Mathew Vetticad is an Indian journalist, film critic, and cultural commentator. She has been in the field of journalism since 1994. Vetticad is known for her political critiques of Indian cinema and the Indian film industry. She is a ...
of ''
Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
'' found the film "insidious" in its writing of the protagonist and wrote, "''Kabir Singh'' and its Telugu forebear ''
Arjun Reddy ''Arjun Reddy'' is a 2017 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, and produced by his brother Pranay Reddy Vanga's company Bhadrakali Pictures. The film stars Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey ...
'' must rank among the most disturbing examples of the obsessive stalker hero being glamourised by Indian cinema." Rating the film 1 out of 5 stars, she further elaborated that "it is not the depiction of reality that is objectionable here, it is precisely because violent, destructive misogynists do exist and women for centuries have suffered at their hands that it is deeply troubling when a film portrays such a person as cool, funny, and, as Kapoor puts it, a man with 'a good heart' who 'loves purely' and 'wears his emotions on his sleeve'."
Rajeev Masand Rajeev Masand (born 13 March 1976) is an Indian film critic and journalist. He has worked for Noida based English language news channel CNN-Indian Broadcasting Network (CNN-IBN). He usually reviews Bollywood films and major Hollywood films rel ...
of News 18 gave the film 2 out of 5 stars and said, "Kabir Singh is an unmistakably misogynistic film, but the sad part is that it's exactly these troubling portions that the filmmakers peddle as intense love." Priyanka Sinha Jha of
News18 Network18 Media & Investments Limited, ( d/b/a Network18 Group) is an Indian media conglomerate owned by the Reliance Industries, headed by Mukesh Ambani. Rahul Joshi is the managing director, chief executive officer and group editor-in-chief ...
, praising Kapoor's performance, Vanga's story and direction, rated the film with three and a half stars out of five. She found editing and soulful music of the film appealing. She felt that the film was a rare story of star-crossed lovers which moves the audience. In the end, She says, "Reddy despite a brooding despairing protagonist takes things many notches higher and makes it one helluva trippy ride." Devesh Sharma of ''
Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of India's most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, ...
'' said, "At 172 minutes, the film is too long by modern standards. Thankfully, Vanga has gone for a non-linear mode of storytelling and going back and forth in the timeline does keep the viewer engrossed."
Shubhra Gupta Shubhra Gupta is an Indian film critic who writes for ''The Indian Express''. She received the Ramnath Goenka Award for Best Writing on Cinema in 2012. She was a member of the Central Board of Film Certification from 2012 to 2015. She is the au ...
of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' giving the film one-and-a-half stars out of five, opined, "Kabir Singh (protagonist) is all flourish, mostly surface. You see him going through the motions, but you never really feel for him. And that, right there, is the problem: not enough pay off for three hours of pain.". Raja Sen of ''
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...
'', agreeing with Gupta, gave one-and-a-half stars out of five and felt that it was the most misogynistic Indian film that had come in a long time. He praised the cinematography of Santhana Krishnan Ravichandran but criticised the other aspects of the film. He said, "''Kabir Singh'' actually applauds its pathetic protagonist, and ends up an obnoxious celebration of toxic masculinity." Kunal Guha of ''
Mumbai Mirror The ''Mumbai Mirror'' is an Indian English-language newspaper published in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Launched in 2005 as a compact daily newspaper, its coverage focused on city specific local news and civic issues concerning education, healthcare an ...
'' rated the film two-and-a-half stars out of five, feeling that trimming the script by forty minutes would have helped. Sandipan Sharma, writing for ''The Federal'', praised and defended the film, saying, "filmmakers should have the right to explore the mind of a flawed person." He slammed critics for accusing the film of "glorifying misogyny, portraying toxic masculinity, obsessive love, celebrating alcoholism, etc." He further added "If Kabir Singh were to inspire Indian men to turn into alcoholics, raging maniacs, would it be safe to assume that in a few years we'd see a full generation of youngsters inspired by biopics and our prime minister? ..his tragi-comic story is so entertaining. Somewhere deep down it also reminds us of our own struggles, failures and flaws." Arnab Banerjee of ''Deccan Chronicle'' also rated the film 1.5 out of 5 stars, criticising it for misogyny but praising the performances of the supporting cast members including Majumdar, Bajwa, Dutta and Oberoi. In response to criticism that ''Kabir Singh'' glorifies its eponymous hero's misogyny, Kapoor defended the character, saying, "There are all kinds of people in real life, including alpha-males who feel territorial entitlement, and I have played this character truthfully". Actor
Manoj Bajpayee Manoj Bajpayee (born 23 April 1969), also transliterated as Manoj Bajpai, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of numerous accolades including four National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards, and two ...
also defended the film, stressing on the futility of shutting down such films and indicating that censoring one film could lead to a trend of moral policing across various segments and potentially limit artistic expression. Filmmaker
Anurag Kashyap Anurag Kashyap (born 10 September 1972) is an Indian filmmaker and actor known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of four Filmfare Awards. For his contributions to films, the Government of France made him a Knight of the Ordre ...
defended the film, feeling it represented more than 70 to 80% of urban India, and that
political correctness "Political correctness" (adjectivally "politically correct"; commonly abbreviated to P.C.) is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society. ...
does not work all the time, particularly in cinema where making films with positive messages and love stories with happy endings has led to nowhere.


Box office

''Kabir Singh''s opening day domestic collection was 20.21 crore. This is the highest opening day collection for a Shahid Kapoor film. On the second day, the film collected 22.71 crore. On the third day, the film collected 27.91 crore. , with a gross of 331.24 crore in India and 47.78 crore overseas, the film has a worldwide gross collection of 379.2 crore. ''Kabir Singh'' was the third highest grossing Bollywood film of 2019. Going by domestic net collection, the film is the 9th list of Hindi films with highest domestic net collection. It also became the first A-certified Indian film to gross over 200 crore in India.


Home media

The film became available for streaming on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
from 19 September 2019.


Accolades


References


External links

* * {{Portal bar, India, Film, Bollywood 2010s Hindi-language films 2010s Indian films 2010s psychological drama films 2019 films 2019 romantic drama films Films about alcoholism Films about depression Films about surgeons Films directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga Films set in Delhi Films set in Mumbai Films set in universities and colleges Films shot in Mumbai Hindi remakes of Telugu films Hindi-language romantic drama films Indian nonlinear narrative films Indian psychological drama films Indian romantic drama films Medical-themed films T-Series (company) films