Kalank Review: Kalank is yet another failed wannabe film

Directed by Abhishek Varman
Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Varun Dhawan
Rating: 2/5

With changing times, what is the right way ahead - holding on or letting go? What happens when the majority and the ruler differ in opinions? Set during the times of partition, Kalank is the tale of the Chaudaris, an affluent and influential family which runs a popular newspaper and the Muslim blacksmiths of Husnabad. It is the story of how Satya tries to give her husband a better life, how Roop tries to find love in the streets, how Zafar in lieu of revenge destroys lives, how Dev submits to his destiny, how Bahaar Begum tries to suppress a lifetime of humiliation and how Balraj faces the haunting choices of past.

Roop, played by Alia Bhatt, is the principle narrator who tells how her one decision taken in a fit of anger resulted in the destruction of four lives. Telling anything more about the story would spoil the cinematic experience. And this is exactly where this film starts to dwindle. The writers overly stress on words like “tabaah”,”harami” and “najayaz” but they never seem to come into the central plot. The storyline is so thin and cliché that the trailer is enough to judge the entire story. The film is overstretched and tiring.

Kalank was supposed to be a period drama but there is hardly any historical layering to the story. Going into historical and factual accuracy would be meaningless as the film is outrightly inaccurate. But except the advent of industrialization (which happened way earlier than the time frame the film is set in) and partition, there is nothing that makes this film a period drama. The film fails to infuse any of the thousands of implications that life in partition had. As a romantic film, the story is average. The confusing relation dynamics in the film will surely make the viewer lose interest. The film employs way too many clichés and looks uncreative.

Now coming to the reason why people will watch this film - the star cast. Some wonderful performances carry the burden of the wobbly writing. Alia Bhatt as Roop is the center of attention here. She understands her character and portrays it believably. Varun Dhawan as Zafar is energetic and vibrant. But even after having an extremely nuanced character, he fails to leave a mark. Madhuri Dixit as Bahaar Begum was breathtaking and gorgeous. She lives up to her character with utmost sincerity. Sanjay Dutt as Balraj doesn't have much to do but does it convincingly.

But among the elaborate ensemble cast, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapoor as Satya and Dev stand out. Their chemistry is spontaneous and adorable. They add the right amount of emotional sensibility to the film.

It is imperative to mention the extraordinarily surprising music by Pritam. The songs are appealing and aptly placed. The CGI work although is acceptable but has room for improvement. Had the makers worked a little on the length the film would've been much better. The film completely justifies its title, Kalank.

The only apt way to describe this film would be to modify Ranveer Singh's dialogue from Gully Boy, "Ye Dekh CGI, Costumes, random historic fact, theme music. Isko period drama Bolte hai?"