Rare indeed would be the 1990s teen who hasn't experienced the thrills of Gupt (1997). Many continue to be big fans of the film. From the performances to the film's edge-of-the-seat narrative and music that complemented the story beautifully, everything fell in place in Rajiv Rai's film. What's more, there has not been a commercial Hindi suspense thriller that could match its magic in the two and a half decades since. Here, then, are five reasons why Gupt remains inimitable.
1. Well-made Concoction
While essentially a suspense film packed with thrills, Gupt keeps fans glued even today, when everyone knows who the killer is. That's because it has many more alluring elements.
The film taps into the emotions of love and unrequited love, and how family and childhood experiences influence you when you grow up. Romance played an essential part in the film besides the thriller element, making for a complete package.
The good part was that the film never gave the viewer the feeling that it was all over the place. No wonder, it achieved critical acclaim as well as box-office success, becoming the year's fourth biggest hit after Dil To Pagal Hai, Border and Pardes.
2. Perfect Soundtrack
Viju Shah's music was a highlight of Gupt, be it the background score, the title track which complemented the film's thriller element, or all the other songs which went on to become hits.
Shah won the Filmfare award for Best Background Score, the first time the award was handed out. Bobby Deol's entry number, 'Duniya Haseenon Ka Mela', continues to be associated with the actor while 'Mere Sanam' and 'Mere Khwabon Mein Tu' remain favourites of Hindi music buffs.
3. Breaking Stereotypes
We always had the quintessential goody-two-shoes Hindi cinema heroine or the wicked women like Lalita Pawar or Bindu. Gupt was the first film in which the heroine turned out to be the evil one. Not many roles like this have been written even after Gupt.
Kajol won several awards for Best Performance in a Negative Role. In an interview, she admitted that playing a negative role was part of the attraction for her. "Apart from that, I knew that Rajiv Rai would make a slick film," she said. "The script was so tight and I knew it would be well-made with all the technicalities, twists and turns, the music, and with Bobby, Manisha and me."
The actress laughed and confessed that when people were giving out spoilers after the film, many refused to believe she could be the killer because she had such a sweet-girl image after Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995).
It wasn't just Kajol's character that was different. Manisha Koirala also played a strong character. Actresses suddenly weren't 'bechari' (helpless) or 'abla naari' (the weaker sex). They knew their way around. Koirala's character was strong, confident and the backbone for Sahil (Deol) throughout the film. The female characters were well-etched and had as much, if not more, to do as the leading man.
4. Crisp Narrative, Gorgeous Visuals
The film's narrative and the way director Rajiv Rai showcased the story and the turn of events was quite impressive, and that is perhaps why the film does not get boring to watch even 25 years on. It was crisp, and how! The visualization of the film and the songs was stunning, to say the least, with the great Ashok Mehta's cinematography.
5. Impressive Ensemble
Gupt's casting was on-point. While the lead cast of Bobby Deol, Kajol and Manisha Koirala was impressive, the film's hidden ace was the brilliant supporting cast in the form of the late Om Puri, Raj Babbar, Paresh Rawal, Prem Chopra, Dalip Tahil, Ashok Saraf and Priya Tendulkar. With such a talented cast and Rajiv Rai's sharp handling, things could not have gone wrong.