The trailer for R Balki’s Chup (2022), starring Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Pooja Bhatt, reveals a hunt for a killer star-slicing them and mutilating their bodies along the way.
Like the poster for the film released last week, the trailer also features the song “Jaane Kya Tune Kahi” sung by Geeta Dutt, from the classic film Pyaasa (1957) by legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt.
Deol’s voice informs us of a new type of serial killer, the one who stalks film critics! In a perversion of star awards in film reviews, the artist-turned-serial-killer engraves stars on his victims. A film is described as a “director’s baby” and film criticism is equated with the rape of that child. This seems to be the peg for the killer on the loose.
Lighthearted, romantic moments between Dulquer and Shreya Dhanwanthary are interspersed with gruesome, bloody scenes that reveal the atrocities inflicted on the killer’s victims. Singer Mohammed Rafi’s soulful voice haunts the final part of the trailer as the iconic song “Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhai Jaye”, also by Pyaasa, plays as the backdrop to the events.
Guru Dutt’s Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), his most personal and introspective film, is cited as an example of a film that was filmed upon release and became a classic Hindi film. Interestingly, the film depicts incidents in the life of a filmmaker that led him to ruin.
A rumination on the volatile nature of success and the world of movies, Kaagaz Ke Phool starred Dutt and Waheeda Rehman in the lead roles. The film’s iconic scene, also seen in the song “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”, is seen in the trailer.
Sunny Deol, who plays a police officer in the film, said in a statement, “It’s a very exciting story. It was a very interesting shoot for me personally. Balki’s vision for this story was so crystal clear that the film seemed have your own pace while filming.”
Dulquer added, “I’ve done different movies in my career, but this one really knocks it out of the park in terms of character and story. It’s like you’re looking into someone’s inner workings and the character I play is particularly unique, so it was a whole new experience for me.”
The psychological thriller Chup is a departure for director R Balki, best known for his wholesome films Cheeni Kum (2007), Paa (2009) and Pad Man (2018). Speaking about the film, he said, “I had this idea for the story a long time ago and I don’t know why it took me so long to write it up and get it on screen. It’s a true thriller that makes you witness the psyche of an artist and the makings of a murderer. It’s a project close to my heart and I’m very proud to be able to share it with the world.”
Produced by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Anil Naidu, Dr Jayantilal Gada (PEN Studios) and Gauri Shinde, the original story is by R Balki. He also co-wrote the screenplay and dialogues with Raja Sen and critic-turned-writer Rishi Virmani.
Chup is due out on September 23.
Check out the trailer below and let us know if you’d like to watch the movie.
