In Kalank, a search for a lost time

Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit and Sonakshi Sinha on the history and romance of Kalank
In Kalank, a search for a lost time

Abhishek Varman’s period drama, Kalank is headed for release on April 17. Set in 1945, the film explores the intertwined lives of six characters against the backdrop of the Partition of India. Produced by Dharma Productions, the period romance is billed as a tribute to ‘eternal love’. In the film, Varun Dhawan plays the role of Zafar, a blacksmith who falls in love with Alia Bhatt’s Roop. The character, Varun says, is based on historical accounts of blacksmith communities living in the walled city of Lahore. “Lahore’s old name was Lohavar (land of iron) before the partition. The Britishers, when they came in, brought a lot of machinery which left the metal workers unemployed. There was a mutiny, but a lot of Indians supported the British,” Varun says. “My character, Zafar, is on the side of the blacksmiths. Abdul (played by Kunal Keemu) is an important figure of that area. The politics of that time is quite interesting, though Britishers don't play a huge part in the film.”

In the trailer, we glimpse Zafar stepping into a gladiatorial arena for an epic bullfight. Is that, too, based on history? Answers Varun: “Yes it is, though we have taken some creative leeway to make it more cinematic. That's why the Colosseum looks larger-than-life.” The actor adds that he did not use a body double to shoot the VFX-heavy sequence. “The animal was created in post, but we had a mechanism to ape its movements. That thing was pricking me all the time.”

Like Varun, Alia describes Kalank as one of the most challenging projects of her career. To get into the mood of a period film, she started by watching old Hindi movies like Kabhi Kabhi and Umrao Jaan, as well as the Pakistani TV show, Zindagi Gulzar Hai. The Raazi actor was focused on setting her character, Roop, apart from anything she’s played before. “I worked on little things like how gracefully Roop would walk, since she is a singer and a dancer,” she says. Asked about her creative equation with Abhishek (they have previously worked together on 2 States), Alia reveals that the filmmaker is not fond of rehearsals and likes to flesh out scenes over multiple takes. “I call him the ‘Inception’ of directors. He likes to have emotion within emotion within emotion.”

Kalank marks the fourth collaboration between Alia and Varun. They have previously been paired in Student of the Year, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaia and Badrinath Ki Dulhania. The characters of Roop and Zafar were originally written for Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan — a comparison that both Alia and Varun promptly shy away from. “I think SRK and Kajol’s pairing is too iconic. They have done too many films together. We have grown up idolising their jodi. So I don’t like to compare us to them,” Varun says. Alia adds, “In our country, people love actors but they also love jodis. I think Varun and I have managed to create that. So we don’t take that lightly. We don’t want to disappoint anyone.”

Speaking of iconic pairs, Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt are reuniting after a gap of 21 years. Madhuri, who was last seen in the comedy film, Total Dhamaal, plays the role of Bahaar Begum in Kalank — a courtesan with a conflicted past. “I worked with Anil Kapoor recently and now I am reuniting with Sanju. It’s always lovely to work with previous co-stars. There’s a certain comfort you share on set. Overall, it was a great experience,” she says. The ace performer also speaks about shooting for Tabaah Ho Jaye, a pivotal nautch sequence in the film choreographed by Saroj Khan. “The song comes at an important juncture, when everything is coming to a head. Bahaar Begum’s character is different from, say, Chandramukhi in Devdas. So we had to choreograph the song keeping her personality in mind.”

Sonakshi Sinha, who is paired opposite Aditya Roy Kapur, hails the return of multi-starrers with Kalank. “I think it is great. I have given the nod to quite a few, like Mission Mangal and Bhuj: The Pride of India. What I've noticed is that each and every character is so well etched out in these films. No actor is at risk of getting lost.” On her love for period films — she’s previously starred in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera — Sonakshi adds that she finds the genre. challenging and fun. “I think it’s nice to cook something out of thin air be transported to an era you have never been a part of. It’s so much fun to do as an actor, and also creatively satisfying.”
 

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