Kalyug (1981 film)

''Kalyug'' (''Age of vice'') is a 1981 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film, directed by Shyam Benegal. It is known as a modern-day adaption of the Indian epic Mahabharat, depicting an archetypal conflict between rival business houses. ''Kalyug'' went on to win the Filmfare Award for Best Film in 1982 and was among the only three Indian films which were submitted to the Academy Awards. The film also went in Berlin International Film Festival for best screenplay and Shashi Kapoor’s phenomenal acting who played the central role of Karna in the epic film was also praised.

The screenplay and plot are quite different from Mahabharat. However, the characterization and the critical events had a striking similarity with the epic. Shashi Kapoor, Rekha, Raj Babbar, Supriya Pathak, Anant Nag, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Sushma Seth, Akash Khurana, Victor Bannerjee, Reema Lagoo, and A.K. Hangal played major roles, while Urmila Matondkar appeared as a child artist.

Cast

* Shashi Kapoor as Karan Singh/Karna
* Rekha as Supriya/Draupadi
* Raj Babbar as Dharam Raj/Yudhisthira
* Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Bal Raj/Bhima
* Victor Bannerjee as Dhan Raj/Duryodhana
* A.K. Hangal as Bhisham Chand/Bhishma
* Sushma Seth as Savitri/Kunti
* Anant Nag as Bharat Raj/Arjuna
* Akash Khurana as Sandeep Raj
* Supriya Pathak as Subhadra
* Amrish Puri as Kishan Chand/Krishna
* Om Puri as Bhavani Pandey

Plot

This is a tale of intrigue, plots and the inevitable war between two families.

Ramchand and Bhishamchand were two pioneering brothers in business. Bhishamchand, a lifelong bachelor, brought up the two sons of Ramchand upon his demise. He also gave the family business a firm foundation. Khubchand ( Vinod Doshi), the elder son of Ramchand begets two sons, Dhanraj (Victor Banerjee) and Sandeepraj (Akash Khurana). Puranchand, Khubchand's younger brother, had died a few years ago. His three sons are Dharamraj (Raj Babbar), Balraj (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) and Bharatraj (Anant Nag). Another player in the game is Karan (Shashi Kapoor), an orphan brought up by Bhishamchand.

A series of events brings the long-hidden feud between the two families to light. Despite Bhishamchand's efforts to mediate between the two, the situation gets out of hand and events take a tragic turn. Dhanraj's men accidentally kill the young son of Balraj and to take revenge, Bharatraj murders Karan. Quite a few skeletons from the family cupboard are brought into the open that only add to the tensions and hatred, finally culminating in the destruction of the two families, showing the brittleness of our moral fabric.

Reception

Director James Cameron heavily praised the film’s story and screenplay and called it “A heavens on earth”. Cameron expressed his desire to make a film on the great Indian epic Mahabharata like the Shashi Kapoor’s film. Anil Dharker, writing for ''International Film Guide'', wrote a positive review, calling it "ambitious" and noting it as "the most complex of Benegal's films so far", which is "carefully paced" and "expertly put together". Dharker praised the cinematographic work and the acting: "Govind Nihalani, Benegal's regular cameraman, highlights each shifting mood with skillful lighting. The cast, most of it Benegal regulars, is excellent, with virtuoso performances from Victor Banerjee, and Shashi Kapoor..." ''Kalyug'' was entered into the 12th Moscow International Film Festival.

Awards

; 29th Filmfare Awards:

Won

* Best Film – Shashi Kapoor
* Best Supporting Actress – Supriya Pathak
* Best Sound Design – Hitendra Ghosh

Nominated
* Best Director – Shyam Benegal
* Best Story – Shyam Benegal, Girish Karnad

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalyug
1981 films
1980s Hindi-language films
Films directed by Shyam Benegal
Films based on the Mahabharata
1980s business films
Indian business films