''Kalank'' (; ''Blemish'' or ''Stigma'') 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

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Period (punctuation) * Era, a length or span of time *Menstruation, commonly referred to as a "period" Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (o ...

romantic drama 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 ...

film directed by Abhishek Varman and produced by

Karan Johar Karan Yash Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar; 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo, is an Indian filmmaker, producer and television personality who primarily works in Hindi cinema. He has launched the careers of several successful ac ...

, Hiroo Yash Johar, and

Apoorva Mehta Apoorva Mehta (born 1986) is a billionaire Canadian-American businessman and the founder of Instacart and Cloud Health Systems. As of September 2023 he had a net worth of $1.3 billion, owing to his 10% ownership share of Instacart and his stake in ...

under

Dharma Productions Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Yash Johar in 1979. It was taken over in 2004, after his death, by his son, Karan Johar. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes H ...

and

Sajid Nadiadwala Sajid Nadiadwala (born 18 February 1966) is an Indian film producer, film director and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. He is the owner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and the grandson of filmmaker A.K. Nadiadwala. Sajid has written ...

under

Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Pvt Ltd (NGE) is an Indian film production company based in Mumbai. The Nadiadwala family have been in film production since 1955; continuing this legacy, Sajid Nadiadwala established the company in 1995. The ...

, with Fox Star Studios serving as presenter and distributor. Set in the pre-independence British era of the 1940s, the film features an

Ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...

including Varun Dhawan,

Alia Bhatt Alia Bhatt (; born 15 March 1993) is a British actress of Indian descent who predominantly works in Hindi films. Known for Alia Bhatt filmography, her portrayals of women in challenging circumstances, she has received List of awards and nomin ...

Aditya Roy Kapur Aditya Roy Kapur (born 16 November 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. After working as a VJ, he made his acting debut with the musical drama '' London Dreams'' (2009). Kapur had his first commercial success with the romance '' A ...

Sonakshi Sinha Sonakshi Sinha (; born 2 June 1987) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and series. The daughter of actors and politicians Poonam Sinha, Poonam and Shatrughan Sinha, she has appeared in ''Forbes India'' Forbes Celebrity 100, Celebrity ...

Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Nene (Maiden and married names, née Dixit, ; born 15 May 1967) is an Indian actress and television personality. She has appeared in Madhuri Dixit filmography, over 70 Hindi films. Praised by critics for her performances and danc ...

, and

Sanjay Dutt Sanjay Balraj Dutt (born 29 July 1959) is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who works in Hindi cinema in addition to a few Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Punjabi films. Dutt has won several accolades and acted in over 160 films. ...

. The narrative explores themes of love, loss, and societal judgment against the backdrop of political unrest in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

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 ...

took place across India, with elaborate sets and period-specific detailing. The film's music was composed by

Pritam Pritam Chakraborty (born 14 June 1971), also popularly known mononymously as Pritam, is a National Award winning Indian composer, instrumentalist, music producer and singer. Graduating from FTII in Sound Engineering, he worked as an ad jin ...

, with lyrics by

Amitabh Bhattacharya Amitabh Bhattacharya (born 16 November 1976) is an Indian Bengali lyricist and playback singer who works in Bollywood films. At the beginning of his career back in 2000's, he was working for few musicians as a singer & met Pritam, who gave him ...

and background score by Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara. Released theatrically on 17 April 2019 across 5,300 screens worldwide, ''Kalank'' became the widest Bollywood release of the year. Despite a strong opening, the film underperformed commercially, grossing ₹146.31 crore worldwide and emerging as a box-office disappointment, although it recovered its production costs. Critical reception was mixed, with praise directed towards its soundtrack, production design, costumes, and performances—particularly those of Dixit and Bhatt—but criticism centered on its screenplay, direction, and length. At the

65th Filmfare Awards The 65th Filmfare Awards ceremony, presented by The Times Group, honored the best Indian Hindi-language films of 2019. The ceremony was held on 15 February 2020 in Guwahati and broadcast on Colors TV the following day. This is the first time in ...

, ''Kalank'' received seven nominations, including Best Supporting Actress (Dixit) and Best Music Director (Pritam), winning two: Best Male Playback Singer (

Arijit Singh Arijit Singh (; born 25 April 1987) is an Indian playback singer. A leading figure in contemporary Hindi film music, he is the recipient of several accolades including two National Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards. He was conferred the P ...

for "Kalank") and Best Choreography (

Remo D'Souza Remo D'Souza (born Ramesh Gopi Nair; 2 April 1974) is an Indian choreographer, film director, and producer. Over the course of his career spanning more than 25 years, D'Souza has choreographed more than 100 films. He is considered the most suc ...

for " Ghar More Pardesiya").

Plot

Satya Chaudhry, diagnosed with terminal

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

, returns to her ancestral home in

Rajputana Rājputana (), meaning Land of the Rajputs, was a region in the Indian subcontinent that included mainly the entire present-day States of India, Indian state of Rajasthan, parts of the neighboring states of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and adjo ...

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

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex industry, sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light district ...

Heera Mandi Heera Mandi (Urdu and ), sometimes referred to as Shahi Mohallah (''"Royal Neighbourhood"''), is a neighbourhood and bazaar located in the Walled City of Lahore. It is specifically known as the red light district of Lahore, Pakistan. It ...

. 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

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

. Zafar, the illegitimate son of Bahaar Begum and Balraj Chaudhry—Dev’s father—seeks vengeance 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 Partition. 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.

Cast

* Varun Dhawan as Zafar, Bahaar and Balraj's illegitimate son; Dev's half-brother; Roop's love interest; Lajjo's love interest *

as Roop Sami Chaudhry, Dharampal's daughter; Satya's friend; Balraj's second daughter-in-law; Dev's second wife; Bahaar's student *

as Dev Chaudhry, Balraj's son; Satya and Roop's husband; Zafar's half-brother *

as Satya Chaudhry, Balraj's first daughter-in-law; Dev's first wife; Roop's friend *

as Bahaar Begum, Balraj's former love interest; Zafar's mother; Roop's teacher *

as Balraj Chaudhry, Bahaar's former love interest; Dev and Zafar's father; Satya and Roop's father-in-law * Kiara Advani as Lajjo, Zafar's love interest; Bahaar's student *

Kunal Khemu Kunal Khemu (born 25 May 1983) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. Early life and background Kunal Khemu was born on 25 May 1983 in Srinagar, in the Kashmir Valley of the erstwhile Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, into a Kashmiri ...

as Abdul Khan, Zafar's friend *

Achint Kaur Achint Kaur is an actress in Indian television and cinema, particularly recognized for her roles as and in Ekta Kapoor's soap operas, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, respectively, both of which were broadcast on Sta ...

as Saroj, the Chaudhry family's housekeeper * Pawan Chopra as Dharampal Sami, Roop's father; Dev's father-in-law *

Hiten Tejwani Hiten Tejwani is an Indian television actor known for his work in several fictional shows. Early life and family Hiten Tejwani was born into a Sindhi Hindu family. Hiten Tejwani married his '' Kutumb'' and ''Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' ...

as Abbas Ahmed Razi, Dev's colleague * Pavail Gulati as Aditya Khanna, a journalist who interviews and documents Roop's life story (special appearance) *

Kriti Sanon Kriti Sanon (born 27 July 1990) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. She has received a National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards, and was featured in ''Forbes India'' Forbes Celebrity 100, Celebrity 100 list of 2019. Af ...

as a dancer in the song "Aira Gaira" (special appearance)

Production

Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt promoting Kalank

Development

''Kalank'' was conceptualized by

and his father Yash Johar nearly 15 years prior to its release. The role of Bahaar Begum was originally intended for

Sridevi Sridevi Kapoor (née Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan; 13 August 1963 – 24 February 2018), known mononymously as Sridevi, was an Indian actress who worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada language films. She is regarded as one of ...

, but following her death in 2018,

was cast in her place. Amrita Mahal was appointed as

production designer In film and television, a production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Work ...

, tasked with recreating an

Old Delhi Shahjahanabad colloquially known as Old Delhi( Hindustani: ''Purāni Dillī'') is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city and officially named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan decided to shi ...

neighborhood, including a palace set constructed in

Film City, Mumbai Film City, officially known as Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, is an integrated film studio complex located in Goregaon East, Mumbai. Established in 1977 by the Maharashtra state government, it was created to provide facilities and concessions ...

, at an estimated cost of ₹15 crore. The film marked the reunion of producer

and actor

after '' Andolan'' (1995).

Filming

began on 18 April 2018 at

and

joined the shoot from 31 May. An introductory song featuring Varun Dhawan,

, and Kiara Advani 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 ''

anarkali Anarkali () is a legendary lady said to be loved by the 16th-century Mughal Prince Salim, who later became Emperor Jahangir. According to some accounts, Anarkali was the nickname of the courtesan ( tawaif) Sharf-un-Nisa, though scholars hold ...

'' and ''

jhumar Jhūmar or Jhoomar (also called Ghūmbar in Sandal Bar) is a traditional Punjabi folk dance in Pakistan, originating from the Sandal Bar and Chaj Doab regions of Punjab. The word "Jhūmar" comes from ''Jhūm'', which means 'to sway' in Pu ...

''.

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.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of ''Kalank'' was composed by

, with lyrics written by

. It was released by

Zee Music Company Zee Music Co. (ZMC) is an Indian music company, a subsidiary of Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It carries its business activities mainly from New Delhi. The company has captured a major chunk of market share in Music of Bollywood, Bollywood m ...

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.

Release

Theatrical

''Kalank'' 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

British Board of Film Classification The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a non-governmental organization, non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films exhibited ...

and the

Australian Classification Board The Australian Classification Board (ACB or CB) is an Australian Government of Australia, government Statute, statutory body responsible for the classification and censorship of films, television programmes, video games and publications for ex ...

with a runtime of 166 minutes. It was released worldwide on 17 April 2019 across 5,300 screens, making it the widest Indian release of the year.

Home video

The film became available for streaming on

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

in July 2019.

Reception

Box office

''Kalank'' 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.

Critical response

''Kalank'' 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 ''

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 ...

'' awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling it “a true labour of love” and commending its visual appeal and strong performances.

Anupama Chopra Anupama Vinod Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist and film critic who served as the festival director of the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival from 2015 to 2023. She is also the founder and editor of the now-de ...

of ''Film Companion'' also rated it 3 out of 5, describing it as “an operatic fantasy” and “visually stunning,” though requiring suspension of disbelief.

Raja Sen Raja Sen (born 10 November 1955) is an Indian film and television director and the winner of three National Film Awards from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He is the father of Subhasree Sen and Sreyoshi Sen. Career Raja Sen first received reco ...

writing for ''

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 ...

'' 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.”

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 ...

rated it 2 out of 5, calling the film disappointing despite its strong cast. Shubhra Gupta 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 ...

'' gave it 1.5 stars out of 5, criticizing the film for being overly staged and emotionally inert.

Saibal Chatterjee Saibal Chatterjee is an Indian film critic, editor and documentary screenwriter. He was a columnist at ''BBC News'', ''Business Standard'', ''Hindustan Times'' and '' The Financial Express''. He has also written for ''The Telegraph'', ''The Tim ...

of ''

NDTV New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. It was founded in 1984 by economist Prannoy Roy and journalist Radhika Roy. NDTV began as a production house for news segments, ...

'' appreciated the film’s themes of love and reconciliation and praised Bhatt and Dixit's screen presence. Nandini Ramnath of '' Scroll.in'' felt the film’s elaborate sets and visual grandeur created emotional distance, ultimately detracting from the story's intended impact.

Accolades

{, class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" ! scope="col" style="width:15%;" , Event ! scope="col" style="width:15%;" , Date of Ceremony ! scope="col" style="width:25%;" , Category ! scope="col" style="width:40%;" , Recipient ! scope="col" style="width:15%;" , Result !Ref. , - , rowspan="7" ,

Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...

, rowspan="7" , 15 February 2020 , Best Supporting Actress ,

, , rowspan="7" , , - , Best Music Director ,

, , - , Best Lyricist ,

for "Kalank Nahi" , , - , Best Male Playback Singer ,

for "Kalank Nahi" , , - , Best Female Playback Singer ,

Shreya Ghoshal Shreya Ghoshal (; born 12 March 1984) is an Indian singer. Noted for her wide vocal range and versatility, she is one of the most prolific and influential singers of India. Often referred to as the "Queen of Dynamics'' for her remarkable voc ...

and Vaishali Mhade for "Ghar More Pardesiya" , , - , rowspan="2" , Best Choreography , {{Sort ,

for "Ghar More Pardesiya" , {{won , - , {{Sort , Remo D'Souza and

Saroj Khan Saroj Khan fondly known as Masterji (born Nirmala Nagpal; 22 November 1948 – 3 July 2020) was an Indian dance choreographer in Hindi cinema. She was born in Bombay State (present day Maharashtra), India. She was best known for the danc ...

for "Tabaah Ho Gaye" , {{nominated , - , rowspan="5" ,

Zee Cine Awards The Zee Cine Award (ZCA) is an annual Indian awards ceremony for the Hindi film industry. They were instituted in November 1997 to award "Excellence in cinema – the democratic way". They were first held in Mumbai until 2004, when the ZCA w ...

, rowspan="5" , 13 March 2020 , Best Music Director , Pritam , {{nominated , rowspan="5" , , - , Best Female Playback Singer , Shreya Ghoshal for "Ghar More Pardesiya" , {{won , - , Best Song of the Year , "First Class" , {{nominated , - , Best Production Design , Amrita Mahal , {{won , - , Best Costume Design ,

Manish Malhotra Manish Malhotra (born 5 December 1966) is an Indian fashion designer, couturier, costume stylist, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and revivalist based in Mumbai, India. The founder of the eponymous label, Manish Malhotra, he sometimes took part in t ...

, {{won , - , rowspan="3" ,

Screen Awards The Screen Awards was an annual awards ceremony held in India, honouring professional excellence in Bollywood. The nomination and award selection was done by a panel of distinguished professionals from the industry. The awards were introduced ...

, rowspan="3" , 8 December 2019 , rowspan="2" , Best Female Playback Singer , Shreya Ghoshal and Vaishali Mhade for "Ghar More Pardesiya" , {{won , rowspan="3" , , - , Shreya Ghoshal for "Tabaah Ho Gaye" , {{nominated , - , Best Choreography , Remo D'Souza for "First Class" , {{won , - , Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, India , 5 January 2020 , Favorite Actor , Varun Dhawan , {{nominated , , - , Lions Gold Awards , 24 January 2020 , Best Villain (Critics) ,

, {{won , , - , rowspan="5" , FOI Online Awards , rowspan="5" , 11 February 2020 , Best Music Director , Pritam , {{nominated , rowspan="5" , {{Cite web , title=5th FOI Online Awards , url=https://www.foionlineawards.com/5th-foi-online-awards , access-date=18 November 2023 , website=foionlineawards , language=en , archive-date=17 May 2022 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517133231/https://www.foionlineawards.com/5th-foi-online-awards , url-status=dead , - , Best Female Playback Singer , Shreya Ghoshal and Vaishali Mhade for "Ghar More Pardesiya" , {{nominated , - , rowspan="2" , Best Choreography , Remo D'Souza for "Ghar More Pardesiya" , {{won , - , Remo D'Souza and Saroj Khan for "Tabaah Ho Gaye" , {{nominated , - , Best Production Design , Amrita Mahal , {{nominated

References

{{Reflist

External links

{{Portal, India, Film, Bollywood * {{IMDb title, 6988116 * {{Rotten Tomatoes, kalank * {{Bollywood Hungama title, kalank {{Karan Johar {{Dharma Productions 2010s historical drama films 2010s Hindi-language films Films set in 1946 Films set in 1956 Films set in the British Raj Indian historical drama films Films shot in Jammu and Kashmir Films set in the partition of India Fox Star Studios films Films shot in Mumbai Indian films about cancer Films about courtesans in India Indian films about revenge 2010s masala films 2019 drama films 2019 films Films set in the Indian independence movement Films set in Rajput kingdoms Films set in Amritsar Indian historical romance films Indian romantic drama films Films set in Delhi Films about adultery in India Hindi-language romantic drama films