Chup’s tale of the serial killer who targets critics is turned into an homage to Guru Dutt. The concept is interesting, however, the film is unable to understand the essence of legend’s power.
The suspense about the trail of a serial killer is a target for critics. I laughed out loud when I heard about the plot of Chup movie: Revenge of the Artist because it seemed like certain filmmakers dream more than just an idea for the film. It brought me back to an interview with the director Rohit Shetty said critics are “frustrated people” and “vultures” and said that “…a some are afraid to even meet me because they are aware that if I ever meet them, I’m likely to batter them and take them to prison for a time.” (Source: The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic)
The theme is hilarious, but it’s a serious film. It is important to note that Chup has not been directed by Rohit and is instead directed by R. Balki (Shamitabh, Ki & Ka, Padman) who is also the writer of the story. The screenplay and dialogues are written and created by Balki, Raja Sen, and Rishi Virmani. And the mystery in the background is twisted into a tribute to legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt whose Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) was widely criticized by critics and rebuffed by the general public but it was able to achieve famous status a few years later. The director never directed any film in the future, however, he was believed to have ghost-directed films he made later on, before passing away tragically in the year 1964.
Guru Dutt’s autobiography is made-for-cinema material, but that’s not the case with what Chup is. It does include aspects of the life of the filmmaker as well as references to his work, and the technique and narrative style draw an influence from the late legend.
The senior Mumbai Policeman ( Sunny Deol) in the Chup movie is trying to find the culprit behind a string of horrific murders of film critics. While he investigates in the same city, a young journalist named Nila ( Shreya Dhanwanthary) hopes to become a film critic. Nila encounters an artist (Dulquer Salmaan) and they are immediately attracted to one another.
At the beginning of Chup, Balki succeeds in creating an atmosphere of intrigue by blending the slow, deliberate pace that stands in stark contrast to the vigor of the police’s mission, Vishal Sinha’s cinematography that is intended to bring us back to the legendary V.K. Murthy’s exploration of the use of shadow and light in the works of Guru Dutt as well as memorable old Hindi films, including Jaane Kya Tune Kahi. The suspense continues for a time until the identity of the killer is revealed earlier than you would expect, as the mystery of why and what happens next is.
However, the film’s grip loosens significantly as it progresses because of the flaws in the love story that is at the heart of these events. Chup isn’t conceived as a mystery or police procedural. The film’s impact is heavily influenced by the appeal of the slowly becoming close to her charming boyfriend with eccentricities that are exposed to the viewers early and not revealed to Nila. The scenes featuring them appear to be much more concerned with being attractive and making it sound like an old-fashioned screen romance instead of being right. Shreya and Dulquer have both been known to perform excellent acting but the emotional impact they may achieve is masked by the director’s focus on the atmosphere and appearance.
The beginning of their romance isn’t exactly pleasant. In the beginning, she’s no more than a client and he is a stranger to her, he goes after her home, and then one day, he shows up at her home with a flower arrangement. Instead of being scared and/or scared by such creepy behavior, or at least, being suspicious of him like almost every woman I know will be, she welcomes to join him.
Chup movie has other good points. Its criticism of criticism is generally on target and it takes criticism of reviewers who are financially corrupt and those who appear to be Astrologers who predict a film’s box office fate, and those who have inadequate knowledge of cinema. All this without presenting uninformed or condescending, nor ridiculing critics individually or mocking the work. Chup is not on the mark, however, in its depiction of the diversity of genders in the profession, presents the vast majority of Hindi and Mumbai film critics as male however, this isn’t the truth.
In a time when Christians are more or less gone out of Hindi film, Chup gives us a unique protagonist from the religious minority as well as a character who doesn’t have the cringe-worthy stereotypes prevalent in the early 1990s of Hindi film Christians in the days when the Christian community was an integral part of the films. The appearance late to Chupof an additional important Christian character that is an alcohol addict gave me pause because alcohol was once a part of the stereotype. However, the standardized portrayal of the hero with no religious background that is over-emphasized results in turning the other character into another person suffering from an alcohol problem, rather than an individual who fits into the traditional image that is Tony The Drunk, sporting an open-faced shirt and the massive cross across his chest that used to say ” hum God se bola” and ” hum pray Karenga”.
The lead actress is a southern Indian and is of mixed parentage Another primary character’s name suggests she’s Parsi Both are written and performed with no stereotypes.
However, Pooja Bhatt’s character has the most politically incorrect and fat-shaming, and untruthful explanation for her method of arriving at the nature of the killer although I’m not sure if psychologists would be able to agree with her reasoning the way she communicates the idea left me not noticing the expertly written dialogue of the American show Criminal Minds that focuses on serial murders. Pooja’s Zenobia character, who specializes in the research of serial killers, has some of the worst lines written poorly and her acting style is even more awkward.
Sunny Deol is unusually restrained in Chup until the Gadar-esque scene that completely destroys his entire life and is uncharacteristic of the policeman he portrays when he shouts”bastard “bastard” into emptiness and jumps off a building in rage.
Chup does not quite rise above being intriguing in theory. In one instance, Nila makes a crucial career choice that could be a logically significant influence on the murderer’s plan However, it turns out that in spite of a build-up, doesn’t. And the details about the motivations behind this murderer are clearly designed to be shocking, however, I was unable to understand.
Then again, Chup‘s beauty fades early on. V.K. Murthy’s cinematography and lighting contributed to the atmosphere of films and add a semblance of glamour to the characters and a glow in their appearances. Chup does the same thing in its pre-interval section however it doesn’t have the same visual impact. In the end, the moment that Dulquer is asked to imitate Guru Dutt’s movements, as well as postures from scenes that are well-remembered The effort, becomes strained.
DQ The young star is known to his fans and has made some great choices in Malayalam film during his decades-long career, including forays in Tamil and Telugu that have put him in a good position. He’s way more impressive than most of the Hindi movies that he’s made. Despite its merits, Chup’s aspirations for magnificence make it more boring than its ephemeral theme could suggest. Balki’s film does not grasp its essence in Guru Dutt’s genius that was not just with the magical quality of the visuals and music, but also in the ability to express the sorrow and mischief, the spirit of humor as well as the love and longing of his characters through empathy. Contrastingly, Chup feels detached from its characters and disengaged.
