Saw Kalyug recently or should I say, saw it partially. Had to leave midway, because the film degenerated into sordidness. Checked out the reviews online and apparently I hadn’t even gotten very far. Had no idea of the film but as it started I saw that it was from the Bhatt camp, and down went my hopes. It looks like the Bhatt camp either makes classy films (remember “Saaransh”) or if that is not possible, drops to C grade films. I mean, how is a non-star like Kunal Khemu and the very average Smilie and a pretty shaky film supposed to sustain viewer interest ?

So, where did I throw in the towel ? OK, so there’s Kunal, now a 21 year old orphan after his dad dies. He has an unexpected visitor, Renuka who arrives from Kashmir, to live in the care of his dad, of course unaware of his death. So, what else – they fall in love and get married and proceed to live with the parent-like Goan landlords. Of course all goes awry in Utopia, when the police arrest Kunal and Renuka for some unknown crime.

That’s when I walked off.

The film showed great promise for sordidness , even the little I saw, and I am glad I left when I did. OK, a true film-maker who doesn’t have “other” intentions will take innocence and purity and cast them down to create a great tragedy, one which actually moves you. Mohit suri, although he directs adequately takes the story of honest and sensitive Kunal, and innocent Renuka (she’s potrayed as absolutely white-as-snow pure) and soils it, to the point where you know this film is going nowehere but down.

The film is based on a true incident, and my problem is not with the story itself, it’s the way it’s interpreted. All I ask for is a little class, a little sensitivity, a little depth of character. Apparently I ask for too much.

Categories : _films , _film_reviews