Kaal
Encyclopedia
Kaal is a Bollywood
Horror film
, released in India
on 29 April 2005. The movie is directed by Soham Shah, who also wrote its dialogue
and screenplay
. Karan Johar
and Shahrukh Khan
produced the movie. The movie is based around the story of a wildlife expert, his wife and a group of friends who battle against supernatural creatures in the fictional Orbit National Park (alluding to the world-famous Jim Corbett National Park
of India
) for their lives. It stars Ajay Devgan
, John Abraham
, Vivek Oberoi
, Esha Deol
and Lara Dutta
. It has Shahrukh Khan
in a cameo role in the song "Kaal Dhamaal".
), and his wife, Riya Thapar (Esha Deol
), to take a trip to this park and ascertain what really happened. A group of youngsters, consisting of Dev Malhotra (Vivek Oberoi
), Ishika (Lara Dutta
), Sajid (Kushal Punjabi
), and Vishal (Vishal Malhotra
), on a thrill and hunting trip also arrive there in the hopes of sighting and shooting some big prey. Both Thapar and Malhotra groups meet with each other, and seek the guidance of a local called Kaali ( Ajay Devgan) after he saves them from a tiger attack.
Slowly it emerges that the people being killed are not being killed by tigers but a person. Dev looks like the main suspect since he is usually not around when people are being killed. Kaali tells them all about a recent story of how overhunting was destroying the jungle. One local guide got very upset by this and started leading tourists astray and getting them killed by tigers. When this started affecting the tourist trade, other villagers and local guides beat that guide and threw him to the tigers. The local villagers now believe that his ghost
is killing everyone who breaks the jungle's rules. That night while spending the night at an isolated inn, Riya is murdered in what appears to be an accident. Then Dev sees that there is no reflection of Kaali in the well or video in Riya's handycam confirming that Kali is the vengeful ghost. They trick Kali and escape the jungle narrowly escaping death due to Kali's rage. Krish later writes an article about the forest, Kali and loss of his wife, Riya. He states that there is no way to stop Kali as even after reading his articles of warning, people still wander in the forest.
and Anand Raj Anand
. The lyrics are penned by Shabbir Ahmed, Anand Raj Anand
and Kailash Kher.
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
Horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, released in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on 29 April 2005. The movie is directed by Soham Shah, who also wrote its dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
and screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
. Karan Johar
Karan Johar
Karan Johar is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and Television host. He is the son of Hiroo Johar and Yash Johar. He is one of the most successful filmmakers in Bollywood. He is most known for directing and producing some of Bollywood's highest grossing films in India and the...
and Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
produced the movie. The movie is based around the story of a wildlife expert, his wife and a group of friends who battle against supernatural creatures in the fictional Orbit National Park (alluding to the world-famous Jim Corbett National Park
Jim Corbett National Park
Jim Corbett National Park—named for the hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett who played a key role in its establishment—is the oldest national park in India. The park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) for their lives. It stars Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan , born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969, is an Indian film actor, director, and producer.He made his film debut with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance in the film and for which he won a Filmfare Best Debut Award...
, John Abraham
John Abraham (actor)
John Abraham is an Indian film actor and former model. After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism , which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom...
, Vivek Oberoi
Vivek Oberoi
Vivek Oberoi is an Indian actor. He is the son of Bollywood actor Suresh Oberoi and Yashodhara Oberoi.- Early life :Vivek attended Mayo college in Ajmer. At an actors' workshop in London he was spotted by the director of New York University who took Vivek off to New York, where he completed his...
, Esha Deol
Esha Deol
Esha Deol is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. She is the elder daughter of Bollywood actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini.-Personal life:...
and Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta Bhupathi is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, and former Miss Universe.-Early life:Dutta was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh to a Punjabi father and an Anglo-Indian mother. Her father is Wing Commander L.K. Dutta and her mother is Jennifer Dutta...
. It has Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
in a cameo role in the song "Kaal Dhamaal".
Plot
Two British Nationals are killed by a ferocious tiger in Orbit Park, This incident follows several other incidents, and many deaths result, prompting a National Geographic correspondent, Krish Thapar (John AbrahamJohn Abraham (actor)
John Abraham is an Indian film actor and former model. After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism , which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom...
), and his wife, Riya Thapar (Esha Deol
Esha Deol
Esha Deol is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. She is the elder daughter of Bollywood actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini.-Personal life:...
), to take a trip to this park and ascertain what really happened. A group of youngsters, consisting of Dev Malhotra (Vivek Oberoi
Vivek Oberoi
Vivek Oberoi is an Indian actor. He is the son of Bollywood actor Suresh Oberoi and Yashodhara Oberoi.- Early life :Vivek attended Mayo college in Ajmer. At an actors' workshop in London he was spotted by the director of New York University who took Vivek off to New York, where he completed his...
), Ishika (Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta Bhupathi is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, and former Miss Universe.-Early life:Dutta was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh to a Punjabi father and an Anglo-Indian mother. Her father is Wing Commander L.K. Dutta and her mother is Jennifer Dutta...
), Sajid (Kushal Punjabi
Kushal Punjabi
Kushal Punjabi is an Indian film and television actor, who won the TV reality game show, Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout, the Indian version of internationally popular "Wipeout" in February 2011, taking home the prize of 5 million.-Early life and family:...
), and Vishal (Vishal Malhotra
Vishal Malhotra
Vishal Malhotra is an Indian film and television actor and a show host. Malhotra was first seen hosting Disney Hour Zee TV in 1995, and as a teenager in Hip Hip Hurray in 1998. He is also known for his physical resemblance to the Vishal Malhotra. He also hosted Disney Time on Sony Entertainment...
), on a thrill and hunting trip also arrive there in the hopes of sighting and shooting some big prey. Both Thapar and Malhotra groups meet with each other, and seek the guidance of a local called Kaali ( Ajay Devgan) after he saves them from a tiger attack.
Slowly it emerges that the people being killed are not being killed by tigers but a person. Dev looks like the main suspect since he is usually not around when people are being killed. Kaali tells them all about a recent story of how overhunting was destroying the jungle. One local guide got very upset by this and started leading tourists astray and getting them killed by tigers. When this started affecting the tourist trade, other villagers and local guides beat that guide and threw him to the tigers. The local villagers now believe that his ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
is killing everyone who breaks the jungle's rules. That night while spending the night at an isolated inn, Riya is murdered in what appears to be an accident. Then Dev sees that there is no reflection of Kaali in the well or video in Riya's handycam confirming that Kali is the vengeful ghost. They trick Kali and escape the jungle narrowly escaping death due to Kali's rage. Krish later writes an article about the forest, Kali and loss of his wife, Riya. He states that there is no way to stop Kali as even after reading his articles of warning, people still wander in the forest.
Cast
- Ajay DevganAjay DevganAjay Devgan , born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969, is an Indian film actor, director, and producer.He made his film debut with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance in the film and for which he won a Filmfare Best Debut Award...
as Kali Pratap Singh - Vivek OberoiVivek OberoiVivek Oberoi is an Indian actor. He is the son of Bollywood actor Suresh Oberoi and Yashodhara Oberoi.- Early life :Vivek attended Mayo college in Ajmer. At an actors' workshop in London he was spotted by the director of New York University who took Vivek off to New York, where he completed his...
as Dev Malhotra - Lara DuttaLara DuttaLara Dutta Bhupathi is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, and former Miss Universe.-Early life:Dutta was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh to a Punjabi father and an Anglo-Indian mother. Her father is Wing Commander L.K. Dutta and her mother is Jennifer Dutta...
as Ishika - John AbrahamJohn Abraham (actor)John Abraham is an Indian film actor and former model. After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism , which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom...
as Krish Thapar - Esha DeolEsha DeolEsha Deol is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. She is the elder daughter of Bollywood actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini.-Personal life:...
as Riya Thapar - Kushal PunjabiKushal PunjabiKushal Punjabi is an Indian film and television actor, who won the TV reality game show, Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout, the Indian version of internationally popular "Wipeout" in February 2011, taking home the prize of 5 million.-Early life and family:...
as Sajid - Vishal MalhotraVishal MalhotraVishal Malhotra is an Indian film and television actor and a show host. Malhotra was first seen hosting Disney Hour Zee TV in 1995, and as a teenager in Hip Hip Hurray in 1998. He is also known for his physical resemblance to the Vishal Malhotra. He also hosted Disney Time on Sony Entertainment...
as Vishal - Vineet Sharma as Bagga
- Parmeet SethiParmeet Sethi-Personal life and education:Parmeet was educated in Mumbai. He passed out of Sydenham college of commerce. He married Archana Puran Singh, a film and television actress, on 30 June 1992. They have two sons...
as Jungle Officer Bashir Khan - Daya Shankar Pandey as D S Pandey
- Shahrukh KhanShahrukh KhanShahrukh Khan , often credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor, as well as a film producer and television host. Often referred to as "the King of Bollywood", Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films....
Special Appearance in song "Kaal Dhamaal" - Malaika Arora Special Appearance in song "Kaal Dhamaal"
Reception
The film received mostly positive reviews from critics noting it to be a different type of horror film. At the box office it performed moderately well, grossing an approx Rs.19 Crores and was given the final verdict of an above-average grosser. It was also the tenth highest grossing film of the year (Bollywood films of 2005).Soundtrack
The music is composed by Salim-SulaimanSalim-Sulaiman
Salim Merchant And Sulaiman Merchant are a musical duo of brothers, born and brought up in Bhuj, Kutch, India. They belong to Ismaili Muslim family and are inspired by their father Sadruddin Merchant, who used to lead Ismaili Scouts Orchestra in India..Steeped in a family tradition of music as the...
and Anand Raj Anand
Anand Raj Anand
Anand Raj Anand is an Indian music director, composer, lyricist and playback singer in the Hindi film industry.-Early life:Anand was born in Delhi to a family of jewellers...
. The lyrics are penned by Shabbir Ahmed, Anand Raj Anand
Anand Raj Anand
Anand Raj Anand is an Indian music director, composer, lyricist and playback singer in the Hindi film industry.-Early life:Anand was born in Delhi to a family of jewellers...
and Kailash Kher.