Karz (film)

For the 2008 film starring Himesh Reshammiya, see Karzzzz

Infobox Film
name = Karz


image_size =
caption =
director = Subhash Ghai
producer = Akhtar Farooqui
Jagjit Khurana
writer = Dr. Rahi Masoom Reza
narrator =
starring = Rishi Kapoor
Tina Munim
Simi Garewal
Pran
music = Laxmikant-Pyarelal
cinematography = Kamalakar Rao
editing = Waman B. Bhosle
Gurudutt Shirali
distributor = Saregama-HMV
released = 11 June 1980
runtime = 156 mins
country = India
language = Hindi
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0214841

"Karz" is a 1980 Hindi film directed by Subhash Ghai. Laxmikant-Pyarelal won a Filmfare Best Music Director Award for this film. The director admitted that "Karz" was based on the 1975 American film "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud" mixed in with Indian beliefs on reincarnation. [ [http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/gupshup/subhash-himesh-karz-100907.html Bollywood Gossip | Filmmaker Subhash Ghai | Actor Himesh Reshammiya | Film Karz ] ] The 2007 film Om Shanti Om by Farah Khan is also loosely based on this film, and makes obvious references to it throughout. The movie was remade into Tamil by Kamal Hassan in 1984 as Enakkul Oruvan and in Kannada by Ravichandran as Yugapurasha.

Synopsis

The evil don Sir Judah (Premnath) has his eyes on the estate and business empire of the eminent businessman Shanta Prasad Verma. But Shanta Prasad's son Ravi Verma (Rishi Kapoor) foils Sir Judah's attempts to take over the estate. Sir Judah is mute (and communicates by tapping on glasses or tables, interpreted by his henchman Mac Mohan). He recruits the barmaid Kamini (Simi Garewal) to seduce Ravi, marry him, eventually murder him and then take over the estate. Kamini seduces Ravi and they marry. They are on their way home to the Verma estate in Ooty. Ravi plays a somewhat sinister melody on his guitar. (This tune eventually comes back as the super hit song "Ek Hasina Thi..." that holds the key to the movie. Music, it turns out, plays a very important role in this tale.) Their jeep suddenly runs out of water. Kamini seizes the opportunity and brutally murders Ravi (by running him over with the jeep) on the lonely highway. The only witness to this event is a small stone statue of the goddess "Kali". Kamini then usurps the Verma estate and banishes the original Ranimaa (Shanta Prasad Varma's wife, played by Durga Khote) and daughter Jyoti (Abha Dhulia) from the mansion. She takes over the entire estate, thus effectively double-crossing Sir Judah.

Flash forward to 25 years later. Ravi Verma is now reborn as a young and successful singer named Monty Oberoi. Though Monty and Ravi look different their soul are exactly same (he was born so he can exact his revenge with Kamini). He was born and orphan but was taken in by the cunning businessman Mr. Oberoi (Pinchoo Kapoor). Mr. Oberoi exploits Monty's talent to his selfish personal gains and treats Monty without affection or respect. Also, Monty suffers from hallucinations and nightmares, usually triggered whenever he listens/plays that familiar tune. The psychiatrist advises Monty to take a vacation. Monty picks Ooty as his vacation spot.

As Monty travels around Ooty, he finds many of the sights and sounds more than familiar: the hills and valleys, the Verma estate, the lonely highway (where the old "Kali" statue has now become a small temple), they trigger something in Monty's subconscious and intensify his hallucinations. Monty now has a slight suspicion about the new Ranimaa/Kamini. Monty also meets his lady love Tina (Tina Munim). Tina's uncle Kabira (Pran) is a small time crook. He engages in petty thievery and extortion with his two henchmen Daiyan The Right (Birbal) and Baiyan The Left (Viju Khote). Kabira was present at the Verma estate the night of Ravi Verma's murder; he knew there was something sinister about it (connected to Kamini) but didn't know exactly what it was.

When Kabira tells Monty what he knows, Monty's suspicions of Ranimaa/Kamini are heightened. To uncover the truth, Monty decides to charm Kamini and get close to her. And Kabira and his men plant staged events (skeleton costumes, "Kali" imagery, strobe lights - that sort of thing) around Kamini to shake her and freak her out. Monty also meets Mrs. Shanta Prasad Verma and her daughter Julie, now very poor people residing in the "basti" (shanty town) downhill from the Verma estate. Mrs. Shanta Prasad Verma exclaims "Ravi!" when she sees Monty whereupon it hits him: he has a very strong connection to the Verma family.

Monty performs at a function (the opening of the Ravi Verma school). He belts out the tune "Ek Hasina Thi ...", accompanied by staged events, courtesy of Kabira, that recreate the final and ill-fated trip of Kamini and Ravi Verma. Kamini, now thoroughly shaken, leaves abruptly.

Monty and Kabira follow her home for the final showdown. Sir Judah arrives from somewhere to exact revenge on Kamini. Monty plays upon Kamini's slowly shattering senses. The climax takes them all over Ooty (with Sir Judah in pursuit) until they arive at the temple of Kali- the only witness to the murder. While Kamini tries to run over Monty and kill him, she accidentally drives off the mountain and therefore she dies.

This film was said to be one of the major hit films directed by Subhash Ghai, although one source has indicated that the film became only a "Semi Hit." [ [http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=186&catName=MTk4MA= BoxOffice India.com ] ] It was the trendsetter for the song industry. The film had many songs nominated in the famous Binaca Top song contest in 1980. The film is also one of the finer films of Subhash Ghai and set the standard for his future films.

Awards & Nominations

Winner---- Filmfare Best Music Director Award--Laxmikant-Pyarelal

Filmfare Nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role--Simi Garewal

Filmfare Nomination for Best Male Playback Singer--Kishore Kumar for the song "Om Shanti Om"

Filmfare Nomination for Best Male Playback Singer--Mohammed Rafi for the song "Darde Dil"

Filmfare Nomination for Best Lyricist--Anand Bakshi for the song "Om Shanti Om"

Filmfare Nomination for Best Lyricist--Anand Bakshi for the song "Darde Dil" [ [http://deep750.googlepages.com/FilmfareAwards.pdf 1st Filmfare Awards 1953 ] ]

Trivia

* The track "Om Shanti Om" was portrayed in the first scene of the 2007 Farah Khan movie, Om Shanti Om, where Shah Rukh Khan replaced Rishi Kapoor on stage in a dream sequence and Farah herself made a guest appearance. Rishi Kapoor and Subhash Ghai appeared later as guest presenters in the movie for the presentation of the best actor award to Om Kapoor.

* A remake also titled Karzzzz is in production and will star singer and actor Himesh Reshammiya with Urmila Matondkar.

* The song "Om Shanti Om" from Karz was originally released by Trinidadian Calypso/Soca artist Lord Shorty in 1974 and was banned in Trinidad for being offensive to Hinduism. Laxmikant Pyarelal were credited with writing the song but were in fact arrangers. Anand Bakshi picked up the best lyrics award even though he was merely a translator on this track.

* The main Karz theme song melody which was also the basis of the climax song "Ek Haseena Thi" is a direct copy of the George Benson piece "We As Love"

References