The trailer for R Balki’s Chup (2022), starring Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan, Shreya Dhanwanthary, and Pooja Bhatt, reveals a hunt for a killer carving out stars on them and mutilating their bodies in process.
Like the motion poster of the film released last week, the trailer also features the song 'Jaane Kya Tune Kahi' sung by Geeta Dutt, from legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt’s classic film Pyaasa (1957).
Deol’s voice informs us of a new kind of serial killer, one who hunts down film critics! In a perversion of the stars awarded in film reviews, the artist-turned-serial-killer carves stars on his victims. A film is described as being a ‘director’s baby’ and film criticism seen as being akin to raping that child. This seems to be the peg for the killer on the loose.
Light-hearted, romantic moments between Dulquer and Shreya Dhanwanthary are interspersed with gruesome, bloody scenes that reveal the atrocities meted upon the killer’s victims. Singer Mohammed Rafi’s soulful voice haunts the latter part of the trailer as the iconic song ‘Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhai Jaye’, also from 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 panned upon its release and went on to become a classic Hindi film. Interestingly, the film describes incidents in the life of a filmmaker which lead him to ruin.
A rumination on the fickle nature of success and the world of films, Kaagaz Ke Phool starred Dutt and Waheeda Rehman in the lead roles. The iconic scene from the film, 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 movie, said in a statement, “It is a very thrilling story. It was a very interesting shoot for me personally. Balki’s vision for this story was so crystal clear that the film seemed to have it’s own pace during shooting."
Dulquer added, “I have done different films in my career, however this one really hits it out of the park in terms of the character and it’s story. It feels like you're looking into someone’s inner workings and the character I play is especially unique so it was an altogether new experience for me."
The psychological thriller Chup is a departure for director R Balki, known best 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 I took so long to pen it down and get it to the screen. It’s a proper thriller that makes you witness the psyche of an artist and the makings of a murderer. It’s a project I hold dear to my heart and I’m very proud of getting 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 has also co-written the screenplay and dialogues along with critic-turned-writer Raja Sen and Rishi Virmani.
Chup is due to be released on 23 September.
Check out the trailer below and let us know if you are keen on watching the film.