Kaagaz (transl. 'Paper') is a 2021 Indian biographical comedy film written and directed by Satish Kaushik and produced by Salman Khan and Nishant Kaushik under the banner of Salman Khan Films and The Satish Kaushik Entertainment Production.[2][3][4] The film stars Pankaj Tripathi, Monal Gajjar and Amar Upadhyay.[5]
| Kaagaz | |
|---|---|
 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Satish Kaushik |
| Written by | Satish Kaushik |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Arkodeb Mukherjee |
| Edited by | Sanjay Verma |
| Music by | |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | ZEE5 |
Release date |
|
Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
The plot of the film is based on the life and struggle of Lal Bihari, a farmer from the small village of Amilo Mubarakpur, who was declared dead on official papers.[6] It marked the last directorial venture of Kaushik before his death on 9 March 2023.
At the 2021 Filmfare OTT Awards, Kaagaz received 3 nominations – Best Web Original Film, Best Actor in a Web Original Film (Tripathi) and Best Supporting Actor in a Web Original Film (Kaushik). The spiritual sequel Kaagaz 2 was released to positive reviews on March 1 2024.[7]
Synopsis
editThe film depicts the struggle and fight of Bharat Lal Bihari against the Indian bureaucracy who was declared dead on government records, his fight with the government went on for 19 years.
Cast
edit- Pankaj Tripathi[8] as Bharatlal Bihari
- Monal Gajjar as Rukmanii
- Satish Kaushik as Advocate Sadhoram Kewat
- Mita Vashisht as MLA Asarfi Devi
- Brijendra Kala as Highcourt Judge
- Amar Upadhyay as MLA Vidhayak Jaganpal Singh
- Lankesh Bhardwaj as Sr. Inspector
- Neha Chauhan as Journalist Sonia
- Garrvil Mohan as Pablo
- Pranay Narayan as Devilal
- Amit Pathak as Harilal
- Sharat Sonu as Rampal
- Ratan Lal as Motiya
- Mahesh Chandra Deva as typist
- Arun Shekhar as Chaman Lal
- Dinesh Sharma as Panditji Pandey
- Yogesh Kumar Shukla as Shukla Ji
- Sandeepa Dhar Special appearance in Laalam Laal song[9]
- Ajay Singh as Tyagi peshkaar of High court judge
- Lal Bihari in a cameo appearance as the man cycling beside Bharatlal
Soundtrack
edit| Kaagaz | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Pravesh Mallick, Rahul Jain and ceAzer | |
| Released | 6 January 2021[10] |
| Recorded | 2018–19 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | 24:26 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Label | Salman Khan Films |
The film's music was composed by Pravesh Mallick, Rahul Jain and ceAzer while lyrics written by Aseem Ahmed Abbasee, Rashmi Virag, Kunaal Vermaa and Shweta Raj.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Laalam Laal" | Aseem Ahmed Abbasee | Pravesh Mallick | Rajnigandha Shekhawat | 4:21 |
| 2. | "Bailgadi" | Rashmi Virag | Pravesh Mallick | Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik | 4:28 |
| 3. | "Jug Jug Jiyo" | Aseem Ahmed Abbasee, Kunaal Vermaa | Rahul Jain | Rahul Jain | 4:57 |
| 4. | "Jug Jug Jiyo" (Reprise) | Aseem Ahmed Abbasee, Kunaal Vermaa | Rahul Jain | Rahul Jain | 5:14 |
| 5. | "Bulaave" | Shweta Raj | ceAzer | Papon | 3:56 |
| 6. | "Poetry of Kaagaz" | Aseem Ahmed Abbasee | Rahul Jain | Salman Khan, Rahul Jain | 2:30 |
| Total length: | 24:26 | ||||
Release
editReception
editCritical reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 29% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5/10.[11]
Pallabi Dey Purkayastha of The Times of India rated the film 3/5 and wrote "To sum it up, Kaagaz could have been the go-to movie for those seeking a burst of inspiration, but it ends up being a uni-dimensional masterclass on one man’s acting prowess. Not that we are complaining, but the film had the potential to tug at the heart strings. Alas! It was not to be."[12]
Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the film 3/5 and wrote "Satish Kaushik's labour of love drives home the plight of a common man up against an administrative system that thrives on running the already dispossessed further into the ground."[13]
Gautaman Bhaskaran of News18 rated the film 2.5/5 and wrote "Kaagaz goes beyond the realm of parody, and a tighter leash on characterisations and scene conceptualisations could have gone a long way in turning Kaagaz into a more worthwhile watch."[14]
Accolades
edit| Year | Award ceremony | Category | Nominee / work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Filmfare OTT Awards | Best Web Original Film | Kaagaz | Nominated | [15] |
| Best Actor in a Web Original Film | Pankaj Tripathi | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Web Original Film | Satish Kaushik | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ a b "Pankaj Tripathi's 'Kaagaz' to release on ZEE5 in January".
- ^ "Satish Kaushik's next directorial titled 'Kaagaz'". Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ "Salman Khan to produce Satish Kaushik's directorial Kagaz". Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ "Salman Khan lends his voice for the first time for a pensive poem in Pankaj Tripathi starrer Kaagaz; WATCH". PINKVILLA. 9 January 2021. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Pankaj Tripathi lost weight to play farmer in Kaagaz". Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ "Kaagaz: A Pankaj Tripathi starrer based on the real story of Lal Bihari Mritak". Mid Day. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ "Kaagaz 2 trailer: Satish Kaushik's final film to release in cinemas on March 1. Watch". Hindustan Times. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Pankaj Tripathi undergoes major physical transformation to play a farmer". Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ "Bollywood actress Sandeepa Dhar reveals her role in Salman Khan film". Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ "Kaagaz – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Jio Saavn. 5 January 2021. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ "Kaagaz". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ "Kaagaz Movie Review: Treading On Fragile Ground", The Times of India, 7 January 2021
- ^ "Kaagaz Review: Pankaj Tripathi, As Dead-On-Paper Bandmaster, Doesn't Let The Film Down". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Kaagaz Movie Review: Pankaj Tripathi's Emotive Range is Laudable in This Social Commentary". News18. 7 January 2021. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
- ^ "Filmfare OTT Awards 2021 - Nominations". filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.