Kalank, the melodramatic and much-hyped saga from the stable of Dharma Productions is a classic case of opulence with no soul.  With an exhausting running time of close to 3 hours, Kalank’s sheer grandeur is a mere camouflage of its glaring lack of a cohesive script.

Set in the pre-independence era during partition riots, Kalank is set in the fictional town of Husnabad on the outskirts of Lahore. The film, which looks a framework copy of any Sanjay Leela Bhansali epic laced with humongous sets, narrates the story of Roop ( Alia Bhatt) , who is coerced by Satya ( Sonakshi ) to marry her husband Dev ( Aditya Roy Kapur), son of a rich tycoon  Balraj Chaudhury ( Sanjay Dutt) . Satya is dying with cancer, and she desires Roop to come closer to  Dev, who is a recluse and defines boundaries of only respect but no love with his new wife. Enters Zafar,  a simmering blacksmith and philanderer of the city’s red-light district Hira Mandi . A Kohl eyed ruffian, Zafar is filled with angst for his illegitimacy against his mother, famed dancer and courtesan Bahar Begum ( Madhuri Dixit), as he was born out of wedlock of Balraj and Bahar Begum. Desperate to exact revenge against his father, he decides to seduce  Roop into his clutches of love in order to bring shame to Balraj’s family.

Despite stunning visuals and a stellar star cast, Kalank is bogged down by a decrepit story which wears you out, especially in the film’s uninspiring first half.  Director Abhishek Burman, who made the effervescent 2 states, fails to lighten up the proceedings, and never really brings out the genuineness of any of the characters. The entire sequence where Roop is persuaded by Satya and her marriage to Dev comes out so contrived that you fail to connect with any of them at an emotional level. The simmering conflict between Dev and his father Balraj, or Balraj and Bahar Begum, is never really exploited, and the very fact that Roop falls in love with Zafar instantly comes out extremely spurious. Kalank is also fraught with convoluted lines which are poetic on paper but glaringly sounds artificial as none of the actors are at ease mouthing them.   There are some energetic moments though, especially an engrossing climax when the film paces up, but ultimately it comes out too late to salvage the damage already done. An unwarranted song with Kriti Sanon and a rather tackily shot duel between Zafar and an angry bull adds to the list of problems of this film.

Kalank largely benefits from an assured act from Varun Dhawan, who revels in his anger for the injustice he has been meted out. He is particularly impressive in the film’s confrontational scenes where you end up rooting for his character. Kunal Khemu,  too impresses in his friend turned foe to Zafar , whose resentment against Hindus ultimately leads to Zafar’s downfall.  Alia Bhatt derives a competent performance, primarily in her scenes with Varun Dhawan which has an underlying tension throughout, but she loses grip in the film’s emotional laden scenes. Madhuri Dixit dazzles in her courtesan act, and looks ethereal in every frame. Aditya Roy Kapur underplays his character well and so as Sonakshi Sinha in her brief role. Sanjay Dutt is bogged down by hackneyed characterization and doesn’t get much scope.

I was in awe during most of the dance numbers, especially  “Ghar More Pardesiya” and “Baaki Sab First Class hain” , which are so exquisitely shot , but ultimately , Kalank is a disappointing fare.  For its terrific cinematography and a gorgeous canvas, Kalank comes out as pure plastic. The film could have been a riveting fare had a powerful script been used.  So much of talent but so little to offer, Kalank is heartbreaking!

POPCORN ENTERTAINMENT RATING – 2/5