Kalank: 10 Unknown facts about the Varun Dhawan – Alia Bhatt starrer

By Subhash K. Jha -

April 17, 2019 - 11:25 AM IST

1. It is the most expensive Karan Johar production to date, so lavish and costly that Karan’s Dharma Production had to share the production responsibility with two other major producers Sajid Nadiadwala and Fox-Star Studios.

2. The estimated budget of the film is Rs 130 crores. To break even the film needs to sustain at high pitch from its release date on Wednesday April 17 to the weekend and beyond. This should be easy considering the Easter holidays fall in-between. At least, that’s the box office calculation the producers have made. Fingers crossed.

Kalank: 10 Unknown facts about the Varun Dhawan – Alia Bhatt starrer

3. The film’s stalwart cast has undergone many changes. Varun Dhawan’s role was to be originally played by Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol was to do Alia Bhatt’s role. Daane daane pe likha khane wale ka naam.

4. Sridevi was replaced Madhuri Dixit. The two divas were fierce rivals in their heydays. It is ironical that destiny willed them to swap roles. Only Karan Johar could pull this off.

5. Dixit’s character of the goodhearted tawaif is inspired by Meena Kumari in Pakeezah, Rekha in Umrao Jaan and Madhuri Dixit in Devdas. Apparently Ms Dixit Nene’s Bahaar Begum is a mélange of all three classic courtesans.

6. The original choice for Sanjay Dutt’s role was Rishi Kapoor who unfortunately fell ill and had to leave the country for medical care. This is how the original Chandni pair of Rishi Kapoor and Sridevi converted into the Khalnayak pair of Dutt and Dixit. Karma comes full circle.

7. Alia Bhatt’s look is inspired by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Jodhaa Akbar and the Pakistani actress Sanam Saeed in the television series Zindagi Gulzar Hai. Incidentally Gulzar and Mahesh Bhatt are the two directors Alia wants to work with. Both directors ceased to direct films 3 decades back. Alia has cajoled her father Mahesh Bhatt to direct one more time for her sake. Zindagi Gulzar Hai is as close as can get to Gulzar.

8. While all the focus is on the hit Varun-Alia jodi, producer Karan Johar is doing everything possible to pump up the Aditya Roy Kapur-Sonakshi Sinha pair. It was Karan’s idea to let both the couples be together for the marketing. After a row of flops, Kalank is being seen as a comeback vehicle for both Kapur and Sinha.

9. At a running-time of 2 hours and 48 minutes Kalank is one of the lengthiest films Karan Johar has produced, 3 minutes longer than My Name Is Khan.

10. Comparisons with Sanjay Leela Bhansali have haunted Kalank from the time the first teaser came out. In a masterstroke of marketing manoeuvre Karan Johar has decided to show the film to the master craftsman who has apparently inspired the look of Kalank. Yes, Bhansali will be watching Kalank at a special screening. We can’t wait to know what he thinks of it.