"Kuch rishte karzon ki tarah hote hain, inhe nibhana nahin chukana padhta hai [Some relationships are like debts, they have to be repaid]," intones Varun Dhawan's Zafar in the first teaser to the period drama, Kalank, directed by Abhishek Varman.
Sanjay Dutt plays family patriach Balraj Chaudhry, Madhuri Dixit Nene is the regal yet aloof Bahaar Begum, Alia Bhatt is Roop who seems to be wooed by Dhawan's Zafar, Aditya Roy Kapur is Dev Chaudhry, while Sonakshi Sinha is Satya Chaudhry who seems to be in a dilemma of her own. It becomes clear that Zafar, the rough and tough warrior, is the outsider in this drama.
The period film seems even grander on scale than previous Dharma Productions films, if that's possible. Against a backdrop of massive sets and beautiful costumes, Kalank has already captured our interest about what sets these characters apart in the film. Why are they all so glum?
"Jab kisi aur ki barbadi apni jeet jaisi lage, toh humse zyaada barbad koi nahi hai iss duniya mein [When you rejoice at someone else’s loss, there is no one more pathetic than you]." Bhatt's Roop is heard in a voiceover as her character sits down to wed Dev. It is obvious her heart is elsewhere.
The solemn, almost foreboding, tone of the teaser seems to suggest that many of these characters will not have their happy ending after all. Set in pre-Independence India, the film is said to be a story of "eternal love".
Co-produced by Karan Johar and Sajid Nadiadwala, Kalank is due to be released on 17 April 2019. Watch the first teaser below and tell us if you are keen to watch this film in the theatres.