'Kalank' movie review: Grand sets, big stars can't save this soulless film

Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan try hard to salvage this period drama.

Set during the partition era of the 1940s, Kalank is a complex love story set in Husnabad, the fictional neighbourhood in Lahore.
A young girl Roop (Alia Bhatt) agrees to be the second wife of Dev (Aditya Roy Kapur) on the insistence of his dying wife Satya (Sonakshi Sinha). With no love in their marriage, Roop easily falls for a blacksmith Zafar (Varun Dhawan) from the city's red light area.
Writer-director Abhishek Varman has shot most of the film inside the grand, lavish sets, modelled to be the red light area, Hira Mandi. At the centre of the Mandi is the courtesan Bahaar Begum (Madhuri Dixit), who suffered heartbreak at the hands of a landlord (Sanjay Dutt) years ago.

With Kalank, the makers have attempted to replicate the grandeur that has become a trademark of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period films but fail miserably. Too much attention and budget seems to have spent on making the sets believable - the courtesan house looks regal, the flowy curtains let the lead actress entangle herself coyly - but that's not enough. As a moviegoer, the forced grandeur distances us from the complicated emotions the characters are going through.
The director is busy sweeping us from one set to another, dipping into a story, scratching emotions of another character, only to pull us out and take us into another scene. In spite of the complex relationships and emotions on display, the film, in the end, lacks soul and becomes an excruciating watch.
Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan try hard to salvage the drama but the lack of a robust screenplay serves as an impediment beyond repair.
Alia gets a dark spot on her record after 2015's Shaandaar. Varun puts his soul into becoming angsty Muslim boy Zafar and compels us to engage in his journey to an extent. His love story with Roop doesn't tug at our heartstrings and becomes inconsequential as you grapple with the inept storyline and hollow emotions.
Sonakshi fits into the period saga with her vintage looks and is oddly radiant as the wife fighting against time. Aditya Roy Kapur's Dev has a predictable arc and is understandingly detached from the beyond-control situations in his life as he juggles the two ladies. Sanjay Dutt has a short screen time and appears to bind the characters together. He shares a dialogue-heavy scene with Madhuri in the climax, which could have been noteworthy, if done deftly. Kunal Kemmu as Abdul fans the right emotions with his grey-shaded act and enjoys the spotlight.
Oddly, Madhuri Dixit's Kathak moves look caricaturish, almost lacking grace for the first time. We would like to blame it on the way her dance sequences were shot. Her emotional spills, dialogue delivery, and the frozen face - everything adds up to the disappointment.
Kalank ends up being a classic example that ostentatious sets, mammoth budgets and big stars aren't enough to hit the bull's eye. How about the makers shift their focus to bringing stories with soul to life?
anita@khaleejtimes.com

Kalank
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Madhuri Dixit, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanjay Dutt
Director: Abhishek Varman
Ratings: 2/5