Kurbaan (2009 film)

Kurbaan (transl. Sacrificed) is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller film directed by Rensil D'Silva in his directorial debut and produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Productions. Based on a story by Johar, the screenplay was co-written by D'Silva. The film stars Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, with supporting performances from Vivek Oberoi, Kirron Kher, Om Puri, and Dia Mirza. Set in New York and Delhi, the narrative follows Avantika Ahuja, a psychology professor who unknowingly marries a member of a terrorist sleeper cell and is drawn into a larger conspiracy.

The film marked D'Silva’s first directorial project and was designed as a socially conscious thriller combining themes of romance, identity, and global terrorism. Principal photography took place across Philadelphia, New York City, Delhi, and Mumbai, with cinematography by Hemant Chaturvedi. The soundtrack and background score were composed by Salim–Sulaiman, while lyrics were written by Niranjan Iyengar. The dialogues were co-written by Anurag Kashyap, and choreography was handled by Vaibhavi Merchant.

Released theatrically on 20 November 2009, Kurbaan received positive reviews from critics, who praised its direction, screenplay, music, and the performances of the lead cast—particularly Kapoor’s. Despite critical acclaim, the film underperformed at the box office. It grossed ₹31.78 crore (US$6.7 million) in India and ₹11.21 crore (US$2.4 million) overseas, for a worldwide total of ₹42.99 crore (US$9.1 million). It was declared a commercial failure by Box Office India.

At the 55th Filmfare Awards, Kurbaan received two nominations: Best Actress (Kapoor) and Best Male Playback Singer (Sonu Nigam and Salim Merchant for "Shukran Allah").