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Kalyug - FilmFare Awards 1981 Reviews

Not wicked enough to fully deserve its name
Mar 25, 2012 06:17 PM 5057 Views

Kalyug (1981), devised as a modern-day parallel to the legendary epic "Mahabharatha", depicts its multifarious cast by helpfully showing a pictoral family tree. More than a dozen characters are introduced. Two wealthy business families are featured- and the heads of these two industrialist houses are brothers. One has passed away while the other is as good as the living dead. The family shown first is led by the late father's 3 sons all of whom are surnamed Raj- Dharam (Raj Babbar), Bal (Khulbhushan Kharbhanda) and Bharath (Anant Nag). Supriya (Rekha) is Dharam's wife. The ruling bigshots in the rival family are Dhan Raj (Victor Banerjee) and Karan (Shashi Kapoor) There are others but I'll be damned if I list all of them.


A party at the outset also functions to further introduce this extended set of players. Friction and ill-will start straightaway. Dhanraj's company has bagged a hefty industrial contract and this invokes the ire of Bharath. Bharath is young and aggressive- the real hands-on leader of his family business .The elder Dharam is not essentially a degenerate man but prefers to devote his energies on the horse-racing arena (a parallel with the Yudhishtirof yore, who despite his virtuous virtousity had a weakness for gambling) Dharam is gentle-hearted,plays only a ceremonial role in the family's business affairs and is shown having a separate bed from his wife. Seething that Dhanraj has cornered the contract by nefarious means, Bharath files a legal appeal. Acrimony intensifies, long-held family secrets are threatened into exposure and the cross-fire escalates towards the path of criminality.


In the other family, it is Dhanraj's role to spew fire and venom without showing any real intelligence. As for Karan, he is a Rhodes scholar,no less (If this movie were a outrightly commercial one, he'd have been only labelled as an Oxford graduate. In real life this movie's scriptwriter Girish Karnad was a Rhodes scholar himself)) who plots victory by cunningly strategizing while showing his cultured "soft" side. It is discreetly shown that he has reserved love for Supriya for a long time, but she is now someone else's wife and the evanescent nature of their mutual glances convey the regret of this reality.


Soon any semblance of the blood-ties' obligations between the two sides are dispensed with ,and they will perhaps stop warring only when the casualties become too much to bear. Certain revelations (anticipated by those who are familiar with the afore-said epic) and the hard hand of fate give further roil and poignancy to the tragedy.


The movie's most memorable performances come from Ananth Nag,Shashi Kapoor and Rekha.Ananth Nag's native language is Konkani, he hails from the state of Karnataka having done most of his work in Kannada films but he spouts Hindi here with the fluency of a native Hindi speaker. I expected his acting to be good but he tops expectations here with a nuanced,emotionally charged act. His character discusses trade details, romances his girl, swears revenge on his enemies and orders a '76 Bordeaux all with equal panache. A.N is a versatile charismatic artiste (the Kannada industry has not ably mined his talent) and its a pity that in the Hindi industry Shyam Benegal was one of the few directors to invest in and popularize Anath Nag's theatrical chops.


Rekha in her role here as Supriya, compliments her prim beauty with tightly reined intensity. Rekha's character in the family does not hesitate to acknowledge Bharath as the real spear-head of the family -her relationship with him is of one strong person showing care and special consideration towards another steely character. In watching her performance here ,I was reminded of Khalid Mohamed's interview with Shatrugan Sinha. When quizzed whether Rekha is suited to enter the political arena, S.S sums it up perfectly when he says" She is not cut out for politics.She is for politicians to talk about, discuss, admire and desire"


'Tis always heartening to see Shashi Kapoor in an non-commercial enterprise. Here he looks much more handsome than he did in his 20s, has oodles of charm and flair ,while consummately enacting the gamut from little gestures to operatic emotion. The character of Dhanraj in keeping with his mythic counterpart- Duryodhan- is meant to have the darkest shades but it'd have amounted to more wicked fun if this character was sculpted with a more complicated,less predictatble edge of villainy.


Om Puri in a cameo makes a fiery mark displaying not only oratorial vehemence, but also shrewd composure in a scene at the negotiating table. One of the stars and sirens of modern Indian cinema- Urmila Matondkar, interestingly makes an appearance here in the guise of a small boy!


One truly jarring element of this film is a terrible song that first pops up and informs the picturization of Bharath's honeymoon. Everytime or most of the time his wife is shown later ,her character is infected with the habit of playing this song on tape. It is a pathetic collation of noise which passes for a pop song, and it becomes a patently ludicrous tactic to popularize this number by letting it punctuate the story multiple times. Another musical segment involving a disco sequence is more tolerable, but better compositional skill would have better benefited these concessions to commercial appeal. The background score creates a rather formidable ethos for the opening credits but falters quite artlessly in the scene where the police disperse protesters. It picks up later ,especially in scenes which effectively deploy Western Classical music to underscore sorrow.


Some of the movie's parallels with the mythic epic are apparent,others more subtle. The violation of Draupadhi sequence is given an interesting spin when tax officials start stripping a bedroom. The scene involving a character kneeling down to repair a vehicle, in the backdrop of a beautiful sunset, has a delicacy of metaphors. Cinematographer Govind Nihalani (himself a notable director of notable non-commercial Indian cinema) is in charge of the visuals and while a flair-laden lensing pattern is not conspicuous here, one can note a stalwart standard throughout and occasional niceties like the camera smoothly arcing around a room to record a certain scene from different vantage points.


I approached this film with great expectations,hoping it to possess epic force and sprawling sweep. However what one gets here falls short of a Battle Royale. Girish Karnad who co-wrote the material with Benegal ,knows how to design high-impact screenplays -and he should have worked harder to make this story bigger and richer (Check out Agnivarsha in which Karnad creates a powerful mythologic screenplay) Shyam Benegal has done well in bringing this script to convincing life, yet I will venture to say that he could have masterminded more intricacies and flourishes in making Kalyug an all-out searing saga. Neverthess, he has to be credited for extracting strong performances from the cast and ensuring steady narrative rhythm (he won't be forgiven for including that song though!) The Mahabharatha is an epic throbbing with profound ideas - a film which is based on it always runs the risk of inviting high hopes ,especially when it is crafted by a distinguished director. Such cavils aside, Kalyug can at least claim its deserving position in the pantheon of good Indian movies with an extended star cast.


Bombay - Mumbai India
Remembering Karna
Mar 26, 2007 03:19 AM 9440 Views

Why do we desire to be rich, powerful and popular; why do we seek glory at the cost of death; why do we worship success; why do we shun losers and emulate winners? What is it that drives us to higher heights of excellence? We do all this because to our minds, success ensures that we are needed, we are appreciated; that we are not alone; that someone loves, appreciates and cares for us; that there is someone for us… that we belong!


No Man desires anything more than sincere appreciation… to survive, he needs nothing more than an assurance that he’s needed… he is appreciated… he is loved… that he is capable and often for satiating this primal urge of our fragile egos, a lot is lost, for every man in this universe is a victim of his own ego – his own sense of righteousness, his own desire of belonging and appreciation…. And often it’s this primal desire that drives many a hero to the gates of infamy and loss.


History is replete with the examples of many a hero who though charismatic and true, talented and pure, virtuous and infallible were often defeated at the hands of lesser mortals by their own urge to belong… but none have lived a life as tragic but as noble as my favourite hero of all times – Karna the Great.


India is a land of folktales but in my esteem, in the entire world there is no story as profound and as insightful as Mahabharata and though Mahabharata is a story many millennia old, it still contains within it a lot of meaning and insight that’s as true today as it was 5000 years ago. And nothing captures more the imagination of readers and philosophers alike than the excellent characterization of the greatest tragedy hero of all times – Karna.


Hindi Celluloid has often tried to adapt Karna to modern sensibilities but none has succeeded as well as Kalyug produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Shyam Benegal. The film is a modern-day adaptation of the Mahabharata in a corporate setting and can be considered the finest piece of work deriving from the legend of Karna.


Shashi Kapoor as Karna is a pleasure to watch. The character of Karna works on many levels and it’s not easy for a person to capture all emotions as effectively as Shashi has done with minimum effort. The role of one who is forced to live the life of an orphan, abandoned by parents and surviving on the doles of a friend’s largesse is not an easy one to portray but Shashi has proved equal to the task. The scene wherein he faces off with Anant in a family gathering in the early part of the movie, again the scene where his identity is revealed and finally the scene wherein he confronts Bhishma is brilliant.


Victor Banerjee as the modern-day Duryodhan is an ideal foil to the reticent Karna of Shashi Kapoor. As a man driven by competition and committed to only success and progress, Victor has performed his role with a clinical efficiency. The greatness of the actor is gauged by his climax scene wherein he accepts Karna’s resignation. Simply Mindblowing!


Rekha as the modern day Draupadi has been aptly cast. The sexual tension between Anant and Rekha is as powerful as the sexual chemistry between Rekha and Shashi is subtle. The actress is at her sensual best but the one scene which proves her is the scene after Abhimanyu’s death where she tries to console Reema Lagoo and is pushed away by the versatile actress, blaming her for her son’s death. That one moment transcends the performance of the two actors to another level altogether.


Raj Babbar as the modern day Yudhisthir and Kulbhushan Kharbanda as the simple Bhima have been well cast to their strengths. As expected, both Amrish Puri and Om Puri do their roles with characteristic élan. Sushma Seth and Vijaya Mehta as the matriarch of the two warring clans are impressive – especially Sushma who plays the modern day Kunti to perfection. Do not forget to watch the young Urmila Matondkar who appears as a child-artiste.


A K Hangal is impressive as Bhishma…. Although his performance forms a small footnote in the film, the actor stands tall with his perfect rendition… scenes worth remembrance are when he tries to convince Victor to a truce and the final showdown with Karna. Supriya Pathak in the role of a young woman married to a much older Anant deserves our appreciation. Another actress that stands out is Rajshri Sarabhai in the role of Victor’s silent wife.


The only role that appears not to be well-etched out but which continues to be impressive is that of the modern-day Arjun. Anant Nag is mindblowing in his performance as the ambitious and ruthlessly capable Bharat Raj. An excellent performance, sadly it does not get maximal support from the script.


Direction by Shyam Bengal is brilliant and logical as ever…. It’s really sad that the brilliant partnership between Shyam and Shashi did not last for long…. As long as they were together, we were treated to brilliant masterpieces like Junoon and Kalyug. I wish they could come together again. Screenplay by Girish Karnad is brilliant and fully complements the mood of the film. Dialogues by Pt. Satyadev Dubey are refreshing and complement the screenplay to perfection.


In retrospect, Karna has to die…. His life is not something that can be acceptable to society where birth and wealth matter more than merit…where your past matters more than your present….where your success may give you power but acceptance from society is still not forthcoming…There are no elucidations of the principles of life for him… such honours are bestowed only on Arjun…. And for every Arjun that succeeds, a Karna has to go down into history as defeated. But ironically, in that defeat alone lies his success, for in death too Karna fights with distinction and triumphs and finally, in death he makes his own, the appreciation he longed for in vain while alive.


Do watch this movie for very rarely has a film been made that not only allows you to think but also to contemplate on a hero and the one thing that made him flawed – his emotions, his quest for appreciation.


KALYUG-MAHABHARATA REVISITED!!!
Jul 02, 2004 08:38 AM 7274 Views

KALYUG is one of the ''best films'' made by Shyam Benegal and taking into consideration Shyam Benegal's oeuvre, Kalyug must be something special to deserve that tag. IT IS...KALYUG was produced by Shashi Kapoor who in his producer's phase made some really good cinema like Junoon, Kalyug, Vijeta and Utsav..its another matter that none of them did well commercially though they did get a lot of critical acclaim and bagged a host of awards.


Kalyug tells the story of two feuding business families-one led by Raj Babbar and the other by Victor Bannerjee.They are both cousins incidently and the patriarch of the whole family is their grand-uncle played by AK Hangal. Raj Babbar who has too honest and retiring a disposition finds it difficult to acquire the smart and shrewd ways of the corporate world. He basically lacks the guile and craftiness to take the family business forward much to the chagrin of his wife Rekha. His younger brother-Kulbhusan kharbanda assists him but the person who actually runs the show is their kid brother Anant Nag who plays a driven and highly ambitious person who hates to lose.


On the other hand,Victor Banerjee is a person who will do anything by hook or crook to get one-up on his cousins.He does not hesitate to use devious and even diabolical means to beat them in the game of business.In this he is assisted by his brilliant and loyal manager Shashi kapoor who does not really endorse his ways but is too burdened by his debt to protest.Victor Banerjee has a life-long gripe with his cousins as he feels he was unfairly denied his right of leading a unified and undivided business by his cousins.He knows the dark truth of his cousins' birth.They are not really his uncle's children as his uncle was impotent-they were fathered by a Swamiji whose ''sewa'' their mother-Sushma Seth did.Victor Banerjee therefore considers them ''bastards'' who had no rights whatsoever on the business..


Does this story sound familiar..does it ring a bell..yes the narrative of KALYUG is heavily inspired and derived from the Mahabharata..with the 2 estranged families who fight till they completely destroy each other..Its a clever interpretation of Mahabharata in the modern context..where Raj Babbar is the self-righteous Yudhistir,Kulbushan Kharbanda is the simpleton Bheem,Anant Nag is the highly skilled Arjun,Victor Banerjee is the diabolical Duryodhana and Shashi kapoor is the loyal Karna-the illegitimate son of Sushma Seth.Shashi kapoor is incidentally called karan in the film and to make matters even more delectable there is a passing reference that his marriage proposal was rejected by the very snobbish Rekha-Draupadi.


This film wonderfully extrapolates the incidents of Mahabharata in the narrative making the going-ons very interesting.The film moves at a brisk pace and you never feel the pace of the film sagging.Considering the complexity of the plots, the film still manages to very skilfully examine and delve into the protagonists'minds.Its very adroitly done-with minimum of fuss and some wonderful dialogues by Satyadev Dubey..not the 'filmy' kind but everyday language is used...


The film's ensemble cast put in spirited performances-be it Victor Banerjee who hits just the right pitch to play the arrogant,refined yet spiteful Dhanraj.Anant Nag shows his inherent restrain and underplays his slightly flamboyant role.Raj Babbar mercifully doesn't ham and neither does Kulbhushan Kharbanda-think Mr. Benegal held them on a tight leash.Rekha plays the snobbish,unhappy-with-her-husband,hard as nails,uppity character with flourish.Shashi Kapoor shows what a wonderful actor he was..wish he had done more roles like this..instead of the happy-go-lucky poor man's Shammi Kapoor roles he specialised in..The rest of the cast puts in some good performances..watch urmila matondakar as the young parikhshit...:)


The direction by Shyam Benegal is unobtrusive..he creates a complex web and draws the viewers in it..slowly but surely..there's no look-at-me technical wizardry of Ram Gopal Verma in his directorial touches.Incidentally Ramgopal Verma said in one of his interviews that his 'Company' was inspired by 'Kalyug'!!!Trust Ramu to come with gems like that...


So folks go for it..if you have not seen this one..there was a time when Sony used to show this film a lot..they might still be doing it on SETMAX..so whenever you do get an opportunity revel in the mastery of Shyam Benegal..


P.S- BGM of the movie by Vanraj Bhatia is excellent..it complements the movie brilliantly!!


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