Kaal

About the film

Kaal (transl. The time) is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language supernatural horror film written and directed by Soham Shah. It was jointly produced by Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan under their banners Dharma Productions and Red Chillies Entertainment. The film stars Ajay Devgn, John Abraham, Vivek Oberoi, Esha Deol, and Lara Dutta. It was released on 29 April 2005 and was an average success at the box office.

The story focuses on a wildlife expert, his wife, and a group of friends who battle against a mysterious entity in the fictional Orbit National Park (alluding to the world-famous Jim Corbett National Park, Nainital, Uttarakhand) for their lives while being helped by a mysterious tour guide. The film conveys a message on protecting the wildlife of India.

Plot

Two British nationals are killed by a ferocious tiger in Orbit National Park in India. This incident is followed by several other tiger attacks, and many deaths result, prompting National Geographic to send a correspondent, Krish Thapar to the national park and ascertain what really happened. Krish is accompanied by his wife Riya.

A group of youngsters, consisting of Dev Malhotra, his girlfriend Ishika, and his

friends Sajid and Vishal, are on a hunting trip in the hopes of sighting and shooting some big prey. Their car breaks down and Bagga, an alcoholic passerby driver, gives them a lift. Bagga's car accidentally hits Krish's car, which also breaks down and is in the middle of the road. The two groups decide to travel together in Bagga's car, leaving a mechanic to repair Krish's car.

Production

Soham Shah had earlier assisted Karan Johar in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001). The filmmakers used 25 litres of real blood in the film. The idea of using computer-generated tigers was dropped because of the lack of its realism. The three tigers shown in Kaal were also used in the Hollywood film Gladiator (2000). Scenes involving tigers were shot in Bangkok, where they used to roam free on sets. Vivek Oberoi wanted to portray the character Kaali, but later accepted the role he was offered. The film was shot at the Jim Corbett National Park.

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics, noting it to be a different type of horror film. Planet Bollywood rated the film 5/10 stars, writing, "Soham Shah is as inept at directing performances as he is at writing an engaging screenplay or building any sort of momentum or pacing visually. Lack of strong characterization tells on the dismal level of performances from the cast. Lara Dutta cringes, cries, and yells randomly, while Esha Deol consistently carries a strange expression on her face that suggests she might have just swallowed a frog. Capable actors, Vivek Oberoi and John Abraham are sadly curtailed by their cardboard characters. Ajay Devgn tries his level best to rise above the non-existent screenplay, but the daunting task of saving the film single-handedly proves too difficult even for him."

Soundtrack

The music is composed by Salim–Sulaiman and Anand Raj Anand, with lyrics written by Shabbir Ahmed, Anand Raj Anand, and Kailash Kher. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 16,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's seventh highest-selling.

Key details