‘Kaal’ is an Uneven Jungle Horror Riddled with Plot Holes, Fueled by a Vengeful Antagonist

In the horror film “Kaal,” a group of trigger-happy friends seek thrills deep in the heart of a national park that’s gained infamy for its man-eating tigers as well as a long history of poaching. They are accompanied by Bagga (Vineet Sharma), a driver with a case of road rage, and also cross paths with Krish (John Abraham), a correspondent for National Geographic and his girlfriend, Riya (Esha Deol), a photographer. They are both of whom are on an assignment to seek answers to the increasing number of tourist casualties at the park, especially in its strictly forbidden core area. Little do they know, nature as well as supernatural forces have malevolent plans in store for them.

One might mistake “Kaal” for a typical Bollywood musical. After all, it is an early Dharma production that opens with a catchy theme song picturised around the magnetic Malaika Arora and the one and only SRK/Shahrukh Khan, both in star-studded cameos, matching steps amidst a kitschy set. Thankfully, the rest of the movie is somewhat tonally sound. The heavy dose of “Final Destination”-esque deaths/kills and close-calls are particularly its crowning glory. It also touches upon the paranoia that sets in on the fatigued group as they endure more trauma from an unforgiving force, which, along with a haunting score, results in an unsettling viewing experience.

‘Kaal’s Many Plot Holes on Rewatch

However, while as a gullible child, I was taken in by the aforementioned heavy helping of glam, thrills, and chills galore. I eagerly awaited repeats of this movie on cable television during the early 2000s. Yet as an adult, I can’t help noticing the glaring plot holes upon re-watch. One of which continues to nag me after the end credits roll includes Bagga, the driver, inexplicably making his exit midway through the movie. This is after the group’s Jeep breaks down for the umpteenth time, only to show up around the last few minutes of the movie to save the day in a cop-out ending. It just felt like writer and director Soham Shah rushed his arc…. Or perhaps he forgot about his existence altogether, up until the final act.

Since “Kaal” was filmed on location at Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand (renamed as ‘Orbit National Park’ in the movie), it incorporates Project Tiger (A conservation initiative launched by the park in the ’70s) into its narrative and even utilises real tigers (apparently the same ones who appeared in the movie “Gladiator”) in a scene. But while well-intentioned, the presentation of this ‘Save the Tiger’ message itself rings hollow. 

While the locales are visually enticing, the cinematography is unfortunately unappealing. It relies heavily on fish eye lens and low angle shots that are bordering on up-skirt shots at times, and the visible continuity errors round up the list of technical issues.

A Mildy-Gory Jungle Flick

There’s not much to speak of in the acting department, either. It features one of the hammiest performances put to screen by Vivek Oberoi, who plays the obnoxious Dev. Once touted as a worthy successor to SRK in the ’90s-early 2000s due to his charm and fanbase, Oberoi’s over-the-top dialogue delivery and angry young man act fall flat here. It’s a far cry from the earnest and restrained performances he demonstrated in his early work. Co-star John Abraham boasts a strong presence and coasts along on privilege for a majority of the movie, but lacks the key ability to emote when required. While Lara Dutta is passable, her character Ishika (Dev’s girlfriend) is relegated to tumbling, limping and screaming at the drop of a pin. On the contrary, Esha Deol delivers a decent performance as Riya, even if her role is reduced to mere love interest destined to be fridged.

It also doesn’t help that none of the main characters—aside from the antagonist—actually have any scope for arcs nor a genuine, fleshed-out personality that allows the audience to view them through a sympathetic lens. (*Spoilers*) In fact, I even felt that a lot of them deserved their tragic fates (save for the likable Riya—an on-screen death which I still think was a step too far)

Worth Watching for Nostalgic Purposes

Suffice to say, the movie is redeemed by the capable shoulders of Ajay Devgn who proves intimidating as Kaali Pratap Singh, a local tour guide with a steely, strange demeanour. He also has a penchant for spouting poetic dialogue about men’s disrespect for nature, as well as expresses disdain at the group’s affinity for throwing out the rule book. As “Kaal” turns 20 this year, Devgn’s performance is one aspect that remains unchanged. It proves again that the actor is at his best when playing a brooding, menacing and altogether unpredictable villain or anti-hero. He previously impressed in the cop thriller “Khakee,” which released a year prior to “Kaal” and the next year too, playing the titular character in the award winning “Omkara,” a Bollywood adaptation of “Othello.” Vineet Sharma, Parmeet Sethi in a brief appearance as a stern forest officer, and Vishal Malhotra lend favourable supporting performances, too. 

While the positives don’t entirely outweigh its negatives, “Kaal” is nonetheless worth a watch purely for nostalgic purposes—or if you seek a mindless and mildly gory jungle flick to while away time. 

“Kaal” is streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime.