Karz (film)

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Karz
Directed by	Subhash Ghai
Produced by	Jagjit Khorana Akhtar Farooqui
Written by	Sachin Bhowmick (screenplay) Rahi Masoom Reza (dialogue)
Starring	Rishi Kapoor, Simi Garewal, Tina Munim, Premnath, Pran
Music by	Laxmikant Pyarelal
Cinematography	Kamalakar Rao
Release date(s)	June 11, 1980
Running time	177 mm
Country	India
Language	Hindi
IMDb profile

Karz is a 1980 Hindi film directed by Subhash Ghai. It is very loosely inspired by the 1975 Hollywood film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud.

[edit] 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 (Raj Kiran) 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 Julie (Abha Dhulia) from the mansion. She takes over the entire estate, thus effectively double-crossing Sir Judah.

Flash forward to 25 years later. Monty Oberoi (Rishi Kapoor) is a young and successful singer. 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 subconcious 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 Raj! 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 the temple of Kali - the only witness for everything - pronounces judgement.

This film was the first directorial debut of Subhash Ghai and was the trendsetter for the song industry. The film had many songs nominated in the famous Binaca Top song contest in 1980. Songs such as "Om Shanti Om" and "Dar-e-dil" were great hits of the time and are still considered to be one of the finest songs of the 80's film era. The film is also one of the finer films of Subhash Ghai and set the standard for his future films.