User Reviews

This is India's greatest epic 'Mahabharata' adapted to the 'age of machines' (kalyug). Each character and situation is so well adapted and given a modern twist that if you didn't know you will appreciate the movie it as an intense modern drama.

The story of Kauravas, Pandavas and their epic battle has been brilliantly adapted to Business Rivalry of two families who like Kauravas and Pandavas are related as well. Karna dying at his wheels, Abhimanyu dying in the chakravuha, Krishna, Bhishma and his quandary, Draupadi vastra-haran everything is there albeit you will have to identify them yourself.

Excellent direction by Shayam Benegal and excellent performances by Shashi Kapoor, Victor Bannerjee, Anant Nag, Rekha, AK Hangal and Supriya Pathak.

Definitely one of the finest movies ever made in India.

Kalyug, an excellent film, is Shyam Benegal's (along with his writers Pt Satyadev Dubey and Girish Karnad) effort to extrapolate the Mahabharata phenomenon in modern context. Kalyug is a thorough and deeply analytical cinematic work. Kalyug is humanization of characters, deified in the mythological epic. Traits of Mahabharat's mythological characters are adopted and imposed on the characters of the film but hardly any character represents one single character included in the Mahabharata and one character may be an amalgam of many characters. Film doesn't let audience fall for easy conclusions that this character is this and thus so well defined as per the mythology, no it is not about fixed characterization. It is more about basic characterization of human being. Here in Kalyug, every character is doing mistakes and they can not be defined in a black and white manner. Kalyug has commercial actors like Shashi Kapoor and Rekha but camera does not stick to one character only.

Kalyug is rich in everything. Good story, good screen play and dialogs, fascinating cinematography,wonderful performances and a super class direction.

It's one of the finest films, ever made in Hindi cinema.

Now, this is what we call the power of cinema. I always have had a notion in my mind that movies should be a medium to showcase the raw potential of a director and the actors in an unstrung way, that is, whatever is shown on the screen is believable and can be related to. Kalyug breaks all fronts, and how! It's a new-age Mahabharata, India's ancient epic mythological book, and the characters are so vulnerably powerful in it. It's going to be years to come before any Indian director can possibly overshadow the sheer strength of this motion picture. Even Benegal can't strive to make this movie again as it possesses hardly any scope for improvement. Hats off to Shashi Kapoor and Anant Nag!

This is a good art film. Referenced from mythology, even names of the characters refer to the ancient times. Set in modern times its a conflict of personalities & emotions between two industrialist families.

The director is well know for his narrative style this ones no exception.

No song and dance here as well as no bollywood style gunfights. A nice intellectual film overall. If you like dance , music & action , this ones not for you.If you'd like to see the hero Karan (Shashi Kapoor) in fun loving films, check out "Do aur do paanch or Namak Halaal"

Mahabharata is an Hindu epic. This epic tells us the story of two families fighting for the throne of Hastinapur. The film Kalyug tells us the story of two business families fighting for supremacy in the field of business. But this fight leads to sorrows and deaths. Kalyug is one of the finest Indian films ever made. Shashi Kapoor and Rekha have given the best performance of their lives in this film.

Movie ahead of its time probably one of the finest and underrated movies of Shashi Kapoor. It is produced by his Company Filmvalas and directed by Shyam Benegal. All Characters in this movie have done justice to there roles background music is superb it doesn't make the make look tht old movie has a lot of twist it shows how important it is to compete and have competition. Raj Babbar doesn't have much role Anant nag and Rehka stills the show one of there serious roles Kulbhushan karbanda and Reema lagoo are Okay Ak Hangal was his usual Urmila play the young boy. Sushma seth was the same like all her movies. Amrish puri doesnt have much in the movie same for Om puri. Supriya Pathak first movie. over All I rate this movie 8.5 a good watch if you like a ram gopal varma kinda movies this is a must watch movie doesn't have songs only 1 (what's your problem)

The best from Bollywood kalyug is ahead of its time the background music is just outstanding everyone in this movie is a hero..must watch if you like drama revenge and competition.

Kalyug review:

Besides working in mainstream blockbusters like 'Deewaar' (1975), 'Trishul' (1978) and 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' (1978), Shashi Kapoor also spearheaded the parallel cinema movement in the 80's. Some of the acclaimed off -beat films he produced were 'Junoon' (1978), '36 Chowringhee Lane' (1981) and 'Kalyug' (1981). Of these, I consider Kalyug directed by the legendary Shyam Benegal to be his best.

A contemporary take on the timeless epic 'Mahabharata', Kalyug transformed the Kaurava and Pandava princes in to warring business houses. Every character of Mahabharata finds a place in the contemporary setting and even episodes like the slaying of mighty Abhimanyu and Karna losing his life at the wheel is given a fantastic modern day twist.

Shashi Kapoor himself, plays Karna, the illegitimate brother on the wrong side of dharma only to fulfill his unflinching friendship towards Duryodhana (named Dhanraj here and played wonderfully by the ever reliable Victor Banerjee). As Karna, Kapoor is a class apart - sophisticated, suave with a tough exterior yet inertly vulnerable within. It's one of his career best performance.

Rekha was interestingly cast as the modern day Draupadi who hates her real husband Dharam Raj (Raj Babbar) but has an obvious attraction towards his younger brother Bharat (or Arjun). A young Reema Lagoo had a bed scene with her onscreen husband Balraj (Kulbhushan Kharbanda). Thankfully, there was no Draupadi 'vastraharan' in the new world and Benegal rightfully resisted the temptation.

I watched Kalyug on Doordarshan in the late '80s and was blown away with Benegal's interpretation of Mahabharat. The epic was playing as a tv serial at the same time on Doordarshan and so it was much easier to compare and appreciate the two...Good olè days those!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

This Movie is a remarkable piece of work from Shyam Benegal. Influence of Mahabharata cannot be missed. Shashi Kapoor's screen presence is strong, Handsome man. No songs in an era when songs, music played major role was courageous on part of filmmakers. Not a surprise, owing to the strong performances and strong storyline, this film was awarded best film in 1981.

If I had not known that this film was based on the 'MahaBharat', I would not have been able to sit through this film. The 'MahaBharat' is one of India's greatest epics, and was also made as a very successful TV series. The story is quite lengthy, and I did not expect the makers of this film to include everything into this film. However, I did not expect them to make such a slow-paced and boring film either.

I was left wondering how you could condense such an action-oriented epic story into a three-hour sleep-fest. The motivations of the characters were not clearly stated, and the enmity between them seemed forced.

Some of the scenes which should have been emotion-wrenching, left you ice-cold. There was an unnecessary scene in a pub-disco that lasted for about 10 agonizingly long minutes.

Shashi Kapoor was one of the bright spots of the movie, giving a controlled and restrained performance. The rest of the cast, save for Anant Nag, Om Puri and Victor Bannerjee, were there for window dressing.

The pace was slow, any sympathy for the characters was non-existent, and the editing was awful.

Overall, the film is unable to fulfill even the most meager of expectations, and I would recommend this film to be given a miss.

Honorable Great Master Director Mr. Shyam Benegal has created a Masterpiece.

All the actors have done Excellent Job.

I want say something specially for His Royal Highness Great Shashi Kapoor. This is the only movie where he is himself. His clothes, His Life Style, Character, Charm, Beauty is unmatched.

I wish every man on the surface of this planet look at least like him.

Shashi is just excellent.

Thank you very much for your kind considerations.

Had very High Epectation 4m this movie but alas not fulfilled.

Overall just an OK movie.

Not able to justify the huge Star cast and the Great Director.

Acting wise Anant Nag was great and the rest all were just OK.

I don't know how people can admire this movie so much !!! Rekha was pretty god but the relationship of her with bharat was slight ambiguous to me.

Was there any illicit relation of her with bharat No high drama/emotions...

what i can say is only hype. ...........

A total waste of time with very poor direction, with unnecessary scenes and very very poor dialogues; seems they just wanted to cash the great epic Mahabharat. Nothing worth to watch. Very very disappointing direction. Guys don't waste your time better watch Rajneeti (2010).

Shyam Benegal, Shashi Kapoor, Raj Babbar, Rekha, Anant Nag etc were all renowned artists. However this movie might have looked good on paper and quite ambitious, but it runs slower than an old 80s Doordarshan TV show.

The pace is lethargic. The melodrama is filled with gaps of silence and non-sensical activities. Being without a song (which was probably an anomaly in those times) it is dragged to 3 hrs without much twists and turns.

Reema Laagoo & Supriya Pathak were strangely in bold roles with nothing much to do other than huff n puff in bed. Infact it was cringey to watch it with family as the scenes came out of the blue and didnt take the movie forward. They seem forced to show how 'arthouse' and shockingly experimental Indian cinema was getting at the time. Rekha has not much to do.

Male actors had more meatier roles but not enough to highlight a few.

The main culprit is the screenplay and director. The pace is so lethargic that it reminds you of old television melodrama shows which didnt have much going on other than people walking around without background music.