Kalank

Set in pre-independence India around 1945, Kalank centres on the wealthy Chaudhry family and the markedly different world of Hira Mandi, the town's musical and less respectable quarter. The two spheres collide when Roop Chaudhry crosses paths with Zafar, a daring figure from Hira Mandi, and the encounter brings buried secrets, betrayals and affairs into the open, threatening both sides. The household is headed by Balraj Chaudhry, whose son Dev is married to Satya, a woman whose illness sets other events in motion. Roop's arrival in the family is tied to Satya's wish to secure a future for her husband. The film also features Bahaar Begum, a figure from Hira Mandi, in a story of family, love, failure, deception and disappointment. It was released on 17 April 2019 and runs 166 minutes.

Abhishek Varman directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Hussain Dalal and Shibani Bathija. Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta and Hiroo Johar produced it for Dharma Productions, Star Studios, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and Zeal Z Entertainment Services. The large cast includes Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and Sonakshi Sinha, supported by a credited crew of 42. Made on a reported budget of 800 million USD and earning 12 million USD worldwide, the film did not recover its cost at the box office.

Audience response was weak. On IMDb it holds 3.8/10 from 22,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 5.8/10 from 62 votes. The small TMDB sample and the much larger IMDb sample point to limited enthusiasm among viewers.