Kalank

Kalank (pronounced [kəˈləŋk]; lit. Blemish or Stigma) is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language period romantic drama film directed by Abhishek Varman and produced by Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar, and Apoorva Mehta under Dharma Productions and Sajid Nadiadwala under Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, with Fox Star Studios serving as presenter and distributor. Set in the pre-independence British era of the 1940s, the film features an Ensemble cast including Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sonakshi Sinha, Madhuri Dixit, and Sanjay Dutt. The narrative explores themes of love, loss, and societal judgment against the backdrop of political unrest in Lahore.

Principal photography took place across India, with elaborate sets and period-specific detailing. The film's music was composed by Pritam, with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya and background score by Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara.

Released theatrically on 17 April 2019 across 5,300 screens worldwide, Kalank became the widest Bollywood release of the year. Despite a strong opening, the film underperformed commercially, grossing ₹146.31 crore worldwide and emerging as a box-office disappointment, although it recovered its production costs. Critical reception was mixed, with praise directed towards its soundtrack, production design, costumes, and performances—particularly those of Dixit and Bhatt—but criticism centered on its screenplay, direction, and length.

At the 65th Filmfare Awards, Kalank received seven nominations, including Best Supporting Actress (Dixit) and Best Music Director (Pritam), winning two: Best Male Playback Singer (Arijit Singh for "Kalank") and Best Choreography (Remo D'Souza for "Ghar More Pardesiya").