Remembering Angraj Karna - My Thoughts on Kalyug (1981)

Certain questions that mean a lot but are often taken to be so simple to be even considered; Certain questions that exist in the DNA of mankind but are still never freely discussed by Man for Man finds the answers to some of these at complete variance with the ethics that he preaches and so it's better they are left unanswered......... Still, let us leave aside for a moment the garb of hypocrisy and try and focus on at least giving words to these deep-vented questions......

Why do we desire to be rich, powerful and popular; Why do we seek glory even at the cost of death; Why do we worship success to the exclusion of everything else; Why do we shun losers and emulate winners? What is it that drives us to higher heights of excellence?

The answer is simple though one would not be ready to accept it as simple: We do all this because to our minds, success ensures that we are needed, we are appreciated; that we are not alone; that someone loves, appreciates and cares for us; that there is someone for us… that We Belong!

No Man desires anything more than sincere appreciation… to survive, he needs nothing more than an assurance that he’s needed… he is appreciated… he is loved… that he is capable and often for satiating this primal urge of our fragile egos, a lot is lost, for every man in this universe is a victim of his own ego – his own sense of righteousness, his own desire of belonging and appreciation…. And often it’s this primal desire that drives many a hero to the gates of infamy and loss.

History is replete with the examples of many a hero who though charismatic and true, talented and pure, virtuous and infallible were often defeated at the hands of lesser mortals by their own urge to belong… but none have lived a life as tragic but as noble as my favourite hero of all times – Karna the Great.

Friends, India is a land of folktales, a land of stories, a land of fables but in my estimation, in the entire world there is no saga as profound and as insightful as Mahabharata, no legend as multi-hued as the Mahabharata and no lesson as relevant as the Mahabharata and though today Mahabharata is a story many millennia old, it still contains within it a lot of meaning and insight that’s as true today as it was 5000 years ago. And in this saga of ageless value, nothing captures more the imagination of readers and philosophers alike than the excellent characterization of the greatest tragedy hero of all times – Karna.

Hindi Celluloid has often tried to adapt Karna to modern sensibilities but none has succeeded as well as Kalyug produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Shyam Benegal. The film is a modern-day adaptation of the Mahabharata in a corporate setting and can be considered the finest piece of work deriving from the legend of Karna.

Shashi Kapoor as Karna is a pleasure to watch. The character of Karna works on many levels and it’s not easy for any person, leave alone an actor, to capture all emotions as effectively as Shashi has done with minimum effort. The role of one who is forced to live the life of an orphan, abandoned by parents and surviving on the doles of a friend’s largesse is not an easy one to portray but Shashi has as always proved equal to the task. The scene wherein he faces off with Anant in a family gathering in the early part of the movie, again the scene where his true identity is revealed and finally the scene wherein he confronts Bhishma is brilliant.

Victor Banerjee as the modern-day Duryodhan is an ideal foil to the reticent Karna of Shashi Kapoor. As a man driven by competition and committed to only success and progress, Victor has performed his role with a clinical efficiency. The greatness of the actor is gauged by his climax scene wherein he accepts Karna’s resignation. The pain, the hurt, the childishness of the male ego..... the manner in which victor's eyes capture the essence of his emotions betrays his power over his characterization ....... Undoubtedly, Duryodhan had a childish streak in him and what shows that better than this effortless performance by Victor ..... Simply Mindblowing!

Rekha as the modern day Draupadi has been aptly cast. The sexual tension between Anant and Rekha is as powerful as the sexual chemistry between Rekha and Shashi is subtle. The actress is at her sensual best but the one scene which proves her is the scene after Abhimanyu’s death where she tries to console Reema Lagoo and is pushed away by the versatile actress, blaming her for her son’s death. That one moment transcends the performance of the two actors to another level altogether.

Raj Babbar as the modern day Yudhisthir and Kulbhushan Kharbanda as the simple Bhima have been well cast to their strengths. As expected, both Amrish Puri and Om Puri do their roles with characteristic élan. Sushma Seth and Vijaya Mehta as the matriarch of the two warring clans are impressive – especially Sushma who plays the modern day Kunti to perfection. Do not forget to watch the young Urmila Matondkar who appears as a child-artiste. Even then, she packed a punch!

A K Hangal is impressive as Bhishma…. Although his performance forms a small footnote in the film, the actor stands tall with his perfect rendition… scenes worth remembrance are when he tries to convince Victor to a truce and the final showdown with Karna. Supriya Pathak in the role of a young woman married to a much older Anant deserves our appreciation. Another actress that stands out is Rajshri Sarabhai in the role of Victor’s silent wife.

The only role that appears not to be well-etched out but which continues to be impressive is that of the modern-day Arjun. Anant Nag is mindblowing in his performance as the ambitious and ruthlessly capable Bharat Raj. An excellent performance, sadly it does not get maximal support from the script.

Direction by Shyam Bengal is brilliant and logical as ever…. It’s really sad that the brilliant partnership between Shyam and Shashi did not last for long…. As long as they were together, we were treated to brilliant masterpieces like Junoon and Kalyug. I wish they could come together again. Screenplay by Girish Karnad is brilliant and fully complements the mood of the film. Dialogues by Pt. Satyadev Dubey are refreshing and complement the screenplay to perfection.

In retrospect, Karna has to die…. His life is not something that can be acceptable to society where birth and wealth matter more than merit…where your past matters more than your present….where your success may give you power but acceptance from society is still not forthcoming…There are no elucidations of the principles of life for him… such honours are bestowed only on Arjun…. And for every Arjun that succeeds, a Karna has to go down into history as defeated. But ironically, in that defeat alone lies his success, for in death too Karna fights with distinction and triumphs and finally, in death he makes his own, the appreciation he longed for in vain while alive.

Do watch this movie for very rarely has a film been made that not only allows you to think but also to contemplate on a hero and the one thing that made him flawed – his emotions, his quest for appreciation.