Kalyug Movie
Review
Technology has its share of advantages... and
disadvantages. It's a boon... and a bane.
Director Mohit Suri tackles the ills of
technology in his new endeavor KALYUG.
KALYUG is a film of today. The film throws light
at not just the porn websites that attract
millions of eyeballs every single day, but also
issues such as prostitution and human
trafficking. Suri's mentor and guide Mahesh
Bhatt did attempt a love story, with the Mumbai
flesh trade as its backdrop [SADAK], but KALYUG
goes a step further: The love story takes an
ugly turn when the protagonist finds himself
amidst the million dollar porn industry in
Zurich.
KALYUG is a contemporary film. Porn sites and
MMSs are no longer Greek and Latin for an
average Indian. There have been real-life
instances of private lives going public with the
advent of technology. That's what KALYUG dabbles
in!
KALYUG works primarily because it has been
handled in the most believable manner. The story
[penned by Mohit Suri] could be anyone's, the
circumstances that compel the protagonist to
search for answers seem so true to life and the
culmination to the story is equally plausible.
Like most Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt's past
efforts, KALYUG also has its share of sequences
that have shock-value, but Suri and screenplay
writer Anand Sivakumaran justify those portions
cleverly. No wonder, KALYUG seems straight out
of life, garnished well with commercial
trappings.
Everything seemed normal in Kunal's [Kunal Khemu]
life. There was even a pleasant surprise in the
form of Renuka [Smilie], a young girl whom fate
had brought to Kunal's doorstep. Soon, the two
were in love, which culminated into marriage.
But their happiness was short-lived.
The most sacred and intimate moment of a couple
-- their first night together -- is captured on
camera and put up on a porn website. Kunal and
Renuka are arrested. Kunal is blamed for making
blue films. Unable to handle the humiliation, a
distraught Renuka commits suicide.
Kunal decides to prove his innocence and uncover
the truth behind the blue film racket, which
leads him straight to the dark underbelly of
Zurich. Armed with only a picture of a famous
Indian porn star Annie [Deepal Shaw], Kunal gets
ready to find and fight a faceless foe.
But what Kunal does not know is that one man's
tragedy is another man's entertainment…
You've got to give it to the Bhatts for telling
a novel story in every film. Agreed, most of
their works are inspired by Hollywood films, but
for moviegoers in India, it's a novel experience
nevertheless. Although KALYUG takes its
inspiration from a real-life incident, it does
bear slight similarities with the acclaimed
Hollywood flick BOOGIE NIGHTS [1997; Mark
Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore], an
expose on the porn industry.
If Mohit Suri tackled two plots side by side in
his directorial debut ZEHER -- murder mystery
and the husband-wife relationship -- he does a
similar thing here. If the first 20 minutes give
an impression of KALYUG being a routine love
story, it changes lanes soon after both Kunal
and Smilie are taken into custody. With Smilie's
suicide and Kunal keen to get to the bottom of
the conspiracy, KALYUG now dons the garb of a
thriller. And it only gets exciting as the focus
shifts to Zurich.
The post-interval portions are provocative and
involving at the same time. The pace does drop
for a few minutes [a song can easily be
deleted], but it's a tight screenplay
nonetheless with no diversions absolutely. In
fact, a number of sequences in the second hour
are the mainstay of the enterprise. These
include: [i] Amrita Singh confronting her
daughter for being openly lesbian and Amrita's
sequence with Kunal soon after, [ii] Attempt on
Deepal Shaw's life right till her flashback
portions, [iii] The Love Parade event and [iii]
The climax, which appears completely justified.
Director Mohit Suri climbs a few steps upwards
as a storyteller. The marriage of content and
technique is evident not so much in the initial
portions, but after the focus shifts to the porn
industry. Also, to Suri's credit, the director
has extracted topnotch performances from the
principal cast, most of them newcomers. Music is
in sync with the narrative and the numbers that
stand out are 'Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaye'
[excellent composition] and 'Dheere Dheere'
[erotic to the hilt, in terms of rendition and
filming]. The remix version of 'Aadat' [on the
end titles] is far more imaginative than the one
before. Cinematography [Rituraj Narain] is
appealing. Dialogues [Jay Dixit] are wonderful.
KALYUG would've fallen flat had the director
entrusted the acting reins in inept hands.
Thankfully, the actors in the film are highly
skilled and competent. Seen earlier as a child
artiste, Kunal Khemu makes his big screen debut
with KALYUG and delivers a knockout performance
from start to end. The boy exudes the intensity
that very few newcomers can boast of and with a
personality that grows on you, Kunal should
manage a strong foothold in days to come. The
youngster actually surprises you when he matches
up to a seasoned performer like Amrita Singh
whenever they share the screen space. An actor
to watch!
Amrita Singh makes a terrific comeback to the
big screen with KALYUG. One of the finest actors
in the 1990s, her performance in KALYUG only
proves that time hasn't corroded her acting
skills. She is tremendous every time she appears
on screen, mainly in the heated confrontation
sequence with her daughter in the post-interval
portions.
Debutante Smilie looks delicate and though she
has a brief role, she does manage to make her
presence felt. However, her makeup is quite
inconsistent. Deepal Shaw is a revelation. The
actor, who also makes her big screen debut with
KALYUG, gets into the skin of her character and
comes up with a performance that's sure to be
noticed. Her body language coupled with her
performance should take her far.
Emraan Hashmi makes a brief appearance and the
actor is, like always, highly competent.
Ashutosh Rana is effective. Farid, as Amrita's
henchman, is efficient as well. Nisha Lalwani [Amrita's
daughter] is natural to the core.
On the whole, KALYUG is a well-made film that
has a contemporary and modern feel to it. At the
box-office, the film has potential to carve a
niche for itself at multiplexes mainly. From the
business point of view, the clash of three films
in a week will only cut into each other's pie.
Hence, KALYUG will have to depend on a strong
word of mouth to stand out.