Karz

Karz 1980 poster for sale!

Featured here is a rare surviving original Bollywood poster of the blockbuster 1980 Hindi reincarnation thriller directed by Subhash Ghai that starred Rishi Kapoor in a double role, with Tina Munim as the female lead and Simi Garewal as the antagonist.

Produced by Jagjit Khurana and Akhtar Farooqui, Karz (1980) also starred Premnath, Raj Kiran, Pran, Durga Khote, Aruna Irani, Jalal Agha, Iftekhar, Viju Khote and Mac Mohan in supporting roles.

Printed and circulated during the first release of the film in theaters (somewhere in 1980), this Karz 1980 poster was originally designed for publicity of the film but never ended up being used.

Karz (1980) told the story of a successful singer called Monty (played by Rishi Kapoor), who is haunted by strange memories of a past life. As his dreams become more vivid, Monty realizes that he is the reincarnation of Ravi (also played by Rishi Kapoor), who was a wealthy man murdered by his greedy wife Kamini (Simi Garewal) for his estate. Monty sets out to expose Kamini and avenge his past life as Ravi.

Karz has attained cult status over the decades. The film is fondly remembered for its unforgettable music composed by duo Laxmikant Pyarelal, who went on to win the Filmfare Best Music Director Award for the film.

Songs like “Ek Haseena Thi” and “Om Shanti Om” sung by Kishore Kumar and “Dard-E-Dil” by Mohammed Rafi became instant chart toppers on the film’s album release. The music, in particular the film’s unforgettable background score, started a new wave in the disco movement in India, making this vintage Bollywood poster, highly collectible.

This vintage Bollywood poster was originally designed using photographic collage techniques by a movie poster art studio in Bombay. Lead actor Rishi Kapoor is seen in a large stunning close up on the right. Smaller still photos of the supporting cast are seen in circles around him, namely Tina Munim, Simi Garewal, Pran, Premnath and Durga Khote.

Typography used in this Karz 1980 poster is entirely in Devanagari Hindi, with the title seen in red with a white border, set against a black background, creating maximum impact.

Karz is one among many films made in Indian cinema on the subject of reincarnation or rebirth. The film was reportedly inspired from “The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975). In 2008, a remake of the film was released titled “Karzzzz,” which starred singer and music composer Himesh Reshammiya.