FILM · 1980 · INDIA
Karz
72 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (72)
- #001
The film's classic melody was inspired by George Benson's piece We As Love. A cover version of We As Love by Ronnie Foster also appeared on the Delight album.
- #002
"Om Shanti Om" sampled Lord Shorty's song "Shanti Om".
- #003
Director Subhash Ghai revealed that Rishi Kapoor was hospitalized due to depression after the film failed at the box office.
- #004
Karz had great music, and this was not only because of Subhash Ghai's well-known taste in music, but also because someone had mocked him by saying that the films of that time did not have good music. So although the story is a thriller, it was written by Ghai as a musical. The hero is a guitarist, and there is an unforgettable melody that connects him to his previous birth and leads him to his killer.
- #005
Mohan Agashe's character "Kooka Singh" in Trimurti was inspired by Pran's character "Kabira" in Subhash Ghai's film Karz.
- #006
Dard E Dil… one of Mohammed Rafi's best songs.
- #007
After the success of Kaalicharan (1976) and Vishwanath (1978), many people said Subash Ghai could not work without Shatrughan Sinha, but he was very busy making 40 films in those days, so Subash Ghai chose Rishi Kapoor as his first preference.
- #008
Since actresses were not seen in villainous roles in those days, the song for Sir Juda, played by Premnath, was added to the film later.
- #009
Subash Ghai thought the only choice to play Monty was Rishi Kapoor, and that his films also performed well and he had star status.
- #010
It was officially remade as YUGA PURUSHA (1989) in Kannada, ENAKKUL ORUVAN (1984) in Tamil and AATMA BALAM (1985) in Telugu, and its most recent adaptation was the Hindi film KARZZZZ (2008).
- #011
The film was remade in 2008 as Karzz with Himesh Reshammiya and Urmila, and it was a disaster.
- #012
It is currently regarded as one of the best masterpieces.
- #013
Subash Ghai launched his production company Mukta Arts on 24 October 1978 and released Karz as its first film.
- #014
The film's songs inspired many films, notably Paisa Yeh Paisa (1985), Main Solah Baras Ki (1998), Ek Hasina Thi (2004), Aashiq Banaya Aapne (2006) and Om Shanti Om (2007). The film was seen as a cheerful tribute to Karz because it borrowed many elements from it.
- #015
For the song Paisa Yeh Paisa, Subash Ghai had called a fat person for a day's shoot; the person did not show up that day, and Subash Ghai decided to play the role himself, after which he began to be seen acting in the films he directed.
- #016
During the making of the film, many people told Subash Ghai that the film was not a profitable proposition because it had only one star, Rishi Kapoor. Tina Munim's Des Pardes had not yet been released at that time. Raj Kiran was not a star. Simi Garewal had no commercial value. By contrast, most of the big films made in those days featured Amitabh Bachchan and/or had multiple actors.
- #017
Pran's son Sunil Sikand was remaking the film Peter Proud's Reincarnation. This was in 1979. The film was titled Karishma. It starred Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Praveen Babi and Danny Denzongpa. When Sunil learned that Subhash Ghai was going to remake the same film as Karz, he shelved his film. They had shot for the film for 3 months. Shashi Kapoor was to die and be reborn as Amitabh Bachchan.
- #018
Durga Khote's stand-in, Reshma Pathan, was seriously injured on the spot when a truck hit her.
- #019
Randhir Kapoor persuaded Rishi Kapoor to do the film at Subash Ghai's request.
- #020
During the Karz shoot in Ooty, there were reports that Tina Munium was romantically involved with Rishi and that she then accompanied Randhir Kapoor while shooting for Harjaee. The Kapoor brothers understood what was going on and backed off. Sanjay Dutt was the one who could not believe Tina was guilty and blamed the Kapoors for the story going around. Another story circulating was that Tina had grown close to Subhash Ghai. The story broke when a picture of Tina and Ghai was published in all the magazines. They were dancing, and in the picture Ghai was twirling Tina. Tina said Ghai treated her like a child. The photo looked that way because the photographer had captured that pose at that exact moment. One of the stories going around was that Tina wanted to be in Ghai's next film, Vidhaata, and that she was supposed to play opposite him. Tina once again denied this, stating it was untrue and that if she won the film on her talent, Vidhaata would come to her.
- #021
Subhash Ghai wanted actors such as Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra and Vinod Khanna to play both roles, but he wanted a young man between the ages of 22 and 23 to play them, and they were far more senior. He therefore chose Rishi Kapoor and Raj Kiran, who were older than that age but suited the characters.
- #022
According to Subash Ghai, Simi Grewal's casting was the hardest part of the film.
- #023
When Subhash Ghai explained Premnath's character, he said he would be a fool in the film. Premnath said that all the films he had done with him contained a great deal of dialogue. He then explained that he wanted a change in his character.
- #024
Pran's character was named Kabir because the character had no religion in the film.
- #025
Tina Munim belonged to Subash Ghai's circle of friends, and he found her very innocent. He decided to bring that same innocence to the screen.
- #026
Simi Garewal did not want to play the villain's role. Subhash Ghai stated that he would pay her market price. She was still not ready because she thought it would damage her career. Ghai insisted that she do the film, saying that he had written the role himself. In the end she agreed only on the condition that Ghai not make the character entirely negative. Ghai agreed to add some sympathetic scenes to justify why her character was evil. As the shoot progressed, none of the scenes Ghai had promised to shoot remained. Ghai was also going to finish the film and not let Simi see the final cut. What she finally saw was very ugly. Tina Munium was seen saying abusive words to Simi's stunt artist. When confronted, Ghai stated that the role was told exactly as it was shot. If one had seen The Reincarnation of Peter Proud, one could see that you cannot show the character sympathetically. Ghai also added that he used only a stand-in artist for Durga Khote's accident scene.
- #027
During the making of the film, Simi Garewal had several stories involving Raj Kiran. Simi was just finishing her marriage and Raj Kiran was a rising star. However, problems arose when Raj Kiran began telling the press that he was seeing Simi. This angered Simi and she ended her relationship with Raj Kiran.
- #028
Karz and Mukta Arts were Subhash Ghai's productions.
- #029
Prem Nat did not speak a single line of dialogue throughout the entire film. He did not need to dub for this film.
- #030
Karz was the first time Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munium worked together. They became a popular pair and were matched in groups such as Bade Dil Wala, Yeh Vaada Raha, Katilon Ke Kaatil and others.
- #031
Raj Kiran hums the Karz melody "Ek Haseena Thi" in Kaun Hain Woh.
- #032
When Subhash Ghai argued with Simi Garewal, he decided to shelve the film. Simi was refusing to speak the dialogue in the scene where she had to throw Raj Kiran's sister and mother out of their house. She thought this would make her character purely evil. He had promised Simi that the role would not belong to a vampire. Ghai said he could not change her dialogue because he would change her character and ruin the film. It was important for the film. Ghai then decided to change the dialogue and reshoot the scene. However, Simi was not performing the scene well and was speaking in a low voice. He needed her to stir the audience's emotions. There was neither anger nor fire in her voice. Ghai told her to shout, but she refused. Ghai finally had enough and said he was shelving the film. Ghai told Simi that the car was outside and that he would burn the film's negatives. Seventy-five percent of the film was complete. The whole unit came to calm Subhash Ghai down. That was when someone told Ghai that Durga Khote was calling him to the makeup room. Simi and Durga were waiting for Ghai. Khote told him that he should not shout like a villain in his own film. Ghai explained how important the scene was, but Simi was refusing. That was when Simi shouted at him, saying that he was shouting at her, and threatened to shelve the film. Ghai said he had no choice because of her behavior. Durga told Simi that Ghai was a good director and was making a good film. She should listen to him and trust his vision. Ghai told her that they would shoot the scene and that he would later show it to her during editing. If she did not like it, he would edit it and shoot it her way. This time Simi's dialogue accused Raj Kiran's mother and sister of harassing her. Simi's brother mistreated the family on the spot. When Simi, her family and friends saw the film at a private screening, Ghai told his team to be ready for trouble because Simi would ask for a reshoot and re-edit. However, the opposite happened. The next day Simi went to Ghai and said she had received flowers and messages about her performance in Karz. She apologized for not understanding that he would present her role very well. Simi won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Role for the film.
- #033
Rishi Kapoor was also hesitant to take on the film because Subash Ghai was known for directing action films such as Kaalicharan (1976) and Vishwanath (1978), and he wanted to make a romantic revenge film in the age of action.
- #034
The film was inspired by the Hollywood film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975).
- #035
Because the classical melody was played many times in the film, Subash Ghai and Laxmikanth Pyarelal decided to compose a song based on it and gave the situation to lyricist Anand Bakshi, who provided the song he composed, Ek Haseena Thi.
- #036
Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om had some elements of the film and paid tribute to it at the beginning of the film.
- #037
It inspired many Indian remakes, primarily Yuga Purusha (1989) in Kannada, Enakkul Oruvan (1984) in Tamil and Atmabhalam (1985) in Telugu.
- #038
The song "Paisa Yeh Paisa" was sampled in the song "Operation Kumar" on Ratbath's internationally released album UFOs in Bollywood.
- #039
Simi Garewal and Rishi Kapoor reunited in Karz about 10 years after Mera Naam Joker (Rishi Kapoor was a child in that film). Karz was Tina Munium's first film after Des Pardes. Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munium made a very good pair. They became a successful pair and were cast together in several films.
- #040
The Kali Mata Temple became quite famous, and many tourists visiting Ooty asked to see it, but the temple never actually existed because it was a set built in one of the studios in Bombay.
- #041
The film's record-breaking song, Om Shanti Om, sung by Kishore Kumar, rose to number 2 on Binaca Geetmala's 1980 annual list, while another duet between Lata and Kishore, Tu Kitne Baras Ki, reached number 13.
- #042
Subhash Ghai admitted that Karz was partly inspired by the 1975 American film The Reincarnation of Peter Proud and was mixed with India's beliefs about reincarnation.
- #043
Although the theme of reincarnation had been tackled earlier in Madhumati (1958), Kudrat (1981) and Mehbooba (1976), its modern transformation through the angle of murder and revenge came with Karz in 1980.
- #044
Sachin Bahumick and Subash Ghai worked together for the first time.
- #045
Initially, Simi Garewal kept asking Subash Ghai to make many changes to the scenes because she thought that after this role she would be known only as a vamp. As the film progressed, she began to like the way her role was taking shape.
- #046
Boney M.'s song Let It All Be Music was used in the film, in the party scene where Rishi Kapoor meets Simi for the first time.
- #047
Boney M.'s song "Gotta Go Home" was played in Karz when Rishi Kapoor tries to enter Simi Garewal's room. The song "Woh Mera Hi Hain" from Sharon Prabhakar's Disco Mastana album was the Hindi version of the same song. At 0:56, Do Ustaad's song "Pyar Mein Jeena Pyar Mein Marna" sampled Boney M.'s "Gotta Go Home." Usha Uthup did a Hindi cover version titled "Mujko Kisis Se Ab" from the 24 Carrats album.
- #048
The internationally released video for Funky Bijou's song Funky Bijou Anthem used the video of Om Shanti Om.
- #049
Sohanlal Kanwar, who had worked with Simi Garewal, had suggested to Subash Ghai that he cast her in a key role.
- #050
Simi Garewal was hesitant about taking on the role, and it took Subash Ghai two months to convince her.
- #051
Amar Haldipur played the violin in Dard E Dil.
- #052
The film was released a week apart from Kurban, which affected its performance, because Kurban was a big-budget film while Karz was a low-budget film that earned average returns.
- #053
The film's premiere was held 37 years later, on 23 April 2017, at the New Excelsior Mukta A2 cinema owned by Subash Ghai in Fort Mumbai, with Rishi Kapoor, Simi Garewal, Subash Ghai and Amar Haldipur in attendance.
- #054
Sunil Sikand was to make his directorial debut with Karishmaa, which had one of the biggest multi-star casts of the 70s, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Pran, Parveen Babi, Sharmila Tagore, Nirupa Roy, Danny Denzongpa, Ranjeet, Iftekar, Jalal Agha, Roopesh Kumar, Jeevan and Romesh Sharma. Tina Munium was also approached for a role. The film was shelved after 3 reels because its story resembled Subash Ghai's 1980 film Karz.
- #055
In 1980, Simi Garewal was also to appear in Kurban, but she could not do it and Aruna Irani took the role.
- #056
Subhash Ghai produced this film together with his sister-in-law Jagjit Khurana.
- #057
This was the first film Rishi Kapoor and Tina Munium appeared in together.
- #058
The hit song Om Shanti Om (Meri Umar Ke Naujawanon) was a faithful copy of a song by calypso musician Ras Shorty (also known as Lord Shorty). The song even borrowed the original's hook line. In a 1996 radio interview, Lord Shorty revealed that the source of this plagiarism was apparently Kishore Kumar. In 1979, Lord Shorty was invited to a farewell party for Kishore, who was visiting Trinidad at the time. At the party, Lord Shorty gave Kishore a copy of the "Soca Explosion" album, which contained the stolen song.
- #059
The coffee plantation in Ooty that Navin Nischol showed Yogita Bali in Parwana was used once again in Karz.
- #060
At 1:55 in the song "Pyar Zindagi Hain" we can hear Boney M's "Ma Baker". The sampled part of "Ma Baker" comes at 0:22 - 0:25. The original source of "Ma Baker" was Mohammed Jarrari's song "Sidi Mansour"/"Baba Bahri". Many cover versions of "Sidi Mansour" were later made by Mohammed Hanesh, Sabre El Rabai, Ahmed Alshaiba and Cheba Yamina. A cover version of "Ma Baker" was made by Hugo Strasser as "Sir Duke". The song/music at 3:25 in Karz's "Om Shanti Om" was inspired by the intro melody of Boney M's Ma Baker. Two cover versions of the song were made in India. One was Sharon Prabhakar's song "Duniya Hai Chakkar" from the album Disco Mastana. Tehseen Javed's male version was titled "Jab Tera Naam Likha". This song is hard to find online. Noor Jehan copied Ma Baker in the Pakistani song "Disco Dildaar Mera" from the film Dhee Rani. The music/melody at 4:45 in the song "Aye Yaar Sun" (audio version) from Suhaag (1979) was recreated at 3:21 in the song "Om Shanti Om" (audio version) from Karz (1980). The song was from Ma Baker. However, the melody in Suhaag did not have a disco flavor. The song "Tum Jo Bhi Ho" from Surakshaa (1979) also sampled Ma Baker.
- #061
Braz Gonsalves plays the saxophone in the song Om Shanti Om.
- #062
DJ Aqeel remixed Ek Haseena Thi on the album Ek Haseena Thi.
- #063
Subhash Ghai wrote the dialogues himself because he wanted them to be simple. Rahi Masoom Raza was hired and deserved the praise.
- #064
Subhash Ghai was considering signing R. D. Burman for the film. The film needed modern music. When Laxmikant Pyarelal heard this, they wanted to sign on for the film and accepted it as a challenge to make modern music for Subhash Ghai.
- #065
Subhash Ghai wanted Kishore Kumar to sing the song Om Shanti Om. However, getting Kishore's appointments to record the song became a problem. Laxmikant recorded the song in his own voice, and the general feeling among the musicians was that the song should stay as it was recorded. Laxmikant told Ghai that since he had already recorded the song in his own voice, Kishore Kumar was not needed. This did not please Ghai. Ghai wanted Kishore only for the song. He did not know how to tell Laxmikant. Ghai spoke with Pyarelal, who agreed that Ghai should have the final say. He told Ghai that he would talk to Laxmikant about the situation. Ghai met Kishore Kumar uninvited at his home and told Kishore about the song. Kishore was going to a recording and asked Ghai to join him for the car ride to the recording studio. Ghai played the song in the car and Kishore liked it. Kishore agreed to do the song, but this upset Laxmikant. Laxmikant refused to speak to Ghai for a year. Laxmikant would sing the song as the finale at all concerts. On the album "Laxmikant - Pyarelal Present Hindi Music Festival - Royal Albert Hall London (1986)", Laxmikant performs the song.
- #066
It was Sachin Bhowmick who suggested Rishi Kapoor for the film. His image in Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi helped him get selected.
- #067
Ghai openly told Prem Nath that he was not being given much of a role in Karz but that he would still have to do it. Prem Nath was not sure. Ghai also told him he would pay him less. Prem Nath once again felt this did not look good for him. When he asked what his task was, Ghai described a mute man who strikes a glass and an interpreter who conveys the message. Prem Nath found this interesting and decided to accept the role.
- #068
It was Sohanlal Kanwar who suggested to Ghai that he include Simi in the film. Ghai got her number and arranged the meeting with Kanwar. When Ghai told her the story of Karz from Kamini's point of view, he presented Kamini as an ambitious woman who drives the film's narrative forward. Garewal turned down the role, saying it was a role Ghai had meticulously presented to her. Garewal told Ghai that she was a heroine. She would only play a lead or parallel lead. She showed Ghai the door and was firm in her decision. Ghai then went to Rishi Kapoor to talk to him about persuading Simi to do the film. This backfired for Ghai. Rishi told Simi that it was a good role and that she should do it, but it really was a vamp role. Ghai then spent dozens of evenings at Simi's house for dinner. The main reason was that he wanted to convince Simi about the role in Karz. Ghai was obsessed with getting Simi to agree to do the film. One day Simi's sister finished and Ghai told her the film. He even agreed to pay her everything he had offered for the film. Simi's sister told Ghai that if he gave her a copy of the script, Simi would consider the film. Ghai immediately agreed. During the shoot he always felt he could change things and later justify it as the director's vision. When the shoot began, Simi was passionate about the role. When Simi was on set, everyone spoke more English than the usual Hindi or Punjabi.
- #069
Clips from the song Ek Haseena Thi were used in Aboywithabag's Club Chennai video.
- #070
Paisa Yeh Paisa was sampled by Coldcut in the song What's That Noise.
- #071
(1995) NN Sippy's shelved film "Karz". The film starred Rishi Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit and Ajay Devgan and was directed by Raj Kanwar. It was eventually made under the title Daag - The Fire.
- #072
Subash Ghai completed the screenplay and then decided on the casting for who would play Kamini and Monty.
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