Kurbaan (2009 film)

Kurbaan
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rensil D'Silva
Produced by	Hiroo Yash Johar Karan Johar
Screenplay by	Rensil D'Silva
Story by	Rensil D'Silva Karan Johar
Starring	Saif Ali Khan Kareena Kapoor Vivek Oberoi Om Puri Kirron Kher Rupinder Nagra Dia Mirza
Music by	Salim-Sulaiman
Cinematography	Hemant Chaturvedi
Edited by	Asif Ali Shaikh
Production company	Dharma Productions
Distributed by	UTV Motion Pictures
Release date	20 November 2009 (2009-11-20)
Running time	160 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi
Budget	₹500 million (US$7.0 million)[1]
Box office	₹429 million (US$6.0 million)[2]

Kurbaan (English:Sacrifice) is a 2009 Indian romantic thriller film directed by Rensil D'Silva and produced by Karan Johar. The film, set against the backdrop of global terrorism, features Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi in pivotal roles along with Dia Mirza, Rupinder Nagra, Om Puri and Kirron Kher.^[3] Released on 20 November 2009, the film deals with an underground organization's attempt at instilling fear by means of terrorism in the United States. It also intersperses philosophical arguments over the corruption of religious beliefs in an attempt to rectify the damage to non-involved Muslims the world-over.

Plot

Avantika Ahuja (Kareena Kapoor), an academic living in the United States, returns to Delhi after her father falls ill. While in India she meets Ehsaan Khan (Saif Ali Khan), a University professor from Mumbai; and the two become friends and soon fall in love. After some time, Avantika must return to work. Ehsaan readily agrees to emigrate for her, and the couple are soon married and living in America. Avantika helps Ehsaan in getting a job, and he is appointed as a professor to teach 'Islam and the Modern World' at the same university where she works. The pair live a happy life in a quiet suburb populated by many South Asian families.

Salma (Nauheed Cyrusi), Avantika's neighbour, is effectively being confined in her own home by her husband Haqil. She manages to inform Avantika about the situation and requests her to contact Rehana (Dia Mirza), a friend and TV reporter. Avantika meets with Rehana and her boyfriend Riyaz (Vivek Oberoi), a Muslim American war journalist who has just arrived from Iraq. Together they discuss Salma's problem and the trio conclude that Salma is probably the victim of domestic violence. Rehana plans a meeting with Salma, but is unable to meet her since she is leaving to Iraq, as part of a United Nations envoy.

Avantika is over joyed to learn that she is pregnant. While waiting for Ehsaan, she takes a walk around her street. Over hearing voices, she decides to investigate, and finds out that a group of men from her neighborhood, lead by the elder Bhaijaan (Om Puri), are planning a mission. They aim to bomb the plane that Rehana is travelling in, since it is carrying a large group of diplomats and media personnel. Avantika realises that they are part of a terrorist group and also comes across Salma's dead body. The men see her and chase her to her house, where she meets Ehsaan. At first he consoles her, but soon reveals that he is also a part of the terrorist group. Avantika realizes that she is nothing but a pawn in Ehsaan’s game - he married her to legitimately obtain residency in the United States.

Bhaijaan asks Ehsaan to kill Avantika since she is now a liability, but after learning that she is pregnant, Ehsaan decides not to. Ehsaan keeps Avantika captive in their home and threatens to kill her father in India if she tries to inform anyone of what she knows. Avantika manages to make a phone call, and calls Rehana in order to warn her. The call goes to voice mail and it is too late, Rehana has already boarded the flight and the bomb has already been planted. The plane explodes, killing Rehana and all others on board.

A heartbroken Riyaz finds Avantika's voice message for Rehana, and begins his own quest to uncover the real culprits behind the flight bombing. Going undercover, Riyaz joins Ehsaan's lectures and soon befriends him. Avantika and the other wives of the group are watched over by Aapa (Kirron Kher), Bhaijaan's wife. Aapa explains the reasons for Jihad to Avantika, and also reveals that Eshaan was a Pakistani man with no political ideology, until his first wife and son were killed by American bombs. Riyaz engages in a passionate debate with other students regarding the topic of Islam, and Eshaan is impressed. While trying to dispose of Salma's decomposing body, Hakil and Eshaan attract the attention of police. Eshaan kills Hakil and the surrounding policemen, and sets the car on fire. Salma's partially burnt body is found, and the FBI distributes pictures of her in order to learn her identity.

Ehsaan finds Riyaz to be a perfect replacement for Hakil. Ehsaan introduces Riyaz to Bhaijaan, who is initially suspicious of the new recruit. He tests Riyaz by ordering him to shoot at a random man serving at a fast food counter. Riyaz is reluctant but follows through, however it turns out there was no bullet in the gun thus leaving the man unharmed. Having passed the test, Ehsaan makes Riyaz a part of their next mission to bomb several subway stations in New York.

Riyaz and Avantika begin to work together to foil the plan and bring down the terrorist group. Riyaz sets up a meeting with the FBI for the next day but his plan is derailed when one of the men sees Salma's picture, and Bhaijaan decides to bring the date of the mission forward.

The group go ahead with their plan - the women travel together with Aapa and the men have three bombs between them, to be detonated at separate stations. While on the subway, Riyaz's colleague bumps into him and accidentally reveals his real identity to Ehsaan and Bhaijaan. Riyaz tries to escape and, in the chaos, shoots Bhaijaan. Before dying, Bhaijaan informs Ehsaan that there are three more bombs, which were placed in the bags of the women, unknown to them. One bomb is with Avantika, who is being escorted by Aapa. Realising that both Avantika and his unborn child will die, Eshaan decides to let Riyaz go, and sets out to find Avantika.

Riyaz informs the FBI of the situation and they rush to each station, trying to find both the men and women. They are able to safely retrieve the explosives from the women, while the men detonate their bombs. Ehsaan kills Aapa in order to free Avantika, and he admits that he loves her and asks her to take care of their child. Eshaan manages to disarm the last bomb, but is fatally wounded as he escapes from three policemen who were chasing him. Before leaving, Avantika asks Ehsaan what his real name is, which he reveals to be Khalid. As she leaves the train, she hears the gunshot of Ehsaan killing himself.

Cast

• Saif Ali Khan as Ehsaan Khan/Khalid
• Kareena Kapoor as Avantika Ahuja Khan
• Vivek Oberoi as Riyaz Masood
• Dia Mirza as Rehana
• Nauheed Cyrusi as Salma
• Om Puri as Bhaijaan
• Kirron Kher as Aapa
• Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Riyaz's father
• Rupinder Nagra as Hamid
• Parineeta Borthakur as Avantika's friend

Production

Shooting for the film began in November 2008 in Philadelphia and in Brooklyn in May 2009.^[4]

Soundtrack

The music of Kurbaan is composed by Salim-Sulaiman, with lyrics by Niranjan Iyengar. The songs have contemporary Sufi base. The music of the film was received warmly by the critics and audience with Shukran Allah and Kurbaan Hua turning out to be huge hits. Ali Maula too was critically acclaimed. But, the song Rasiya received most acclaim due to its soothing - melodious feel and its lyrics. It is based on Puriya raag and Shruti Pathak's singing was highly appreciated.

Salim Merchant and Sonu Nigam were nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer at the 55th Filmfare Awards in 2010 for the song Shukran Allah.

Release

Controversies

A petitioner, Mohammed Ali, filed a petition in Bombay High Court to stay the release of movie after claiming two of the songs in the movie were obscene. The court declined to stay the release and sought the responses of Karan Johar, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor.^[9]

See also

• List of cultural references to the 11 September attacks

References

External links

• Official website
• Kurbaan at Bollywood Hungama
• Kurbaan on IMDb
• Kurbaan at Box Office Mojo