Chup Review - R. Balki's 'Chup' Is Here To Kill Most Of The Biased Critics

It seems that R. Balki is heavily inspired by the events that happened with Guru Dutt's Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959). The film was slaughtered by critics at the time of its release but is now considered a cult classic. But does that help? Guru Dutt spent nights and days in depression after Kaagaz Ke Phool was released and did not direct any films after that. He passed away 5 years later and couldn't see how his film was loved by modern critics and movie buffs. Like I said, that makes no sense at all. Well, Dutt Sahab was not the only one who had to go through these torments. There were many filmmakers, and sadly, we don't know about 90% of them. We usually refer to Guru Dutt's Kaagaz Ke Phool or Raj Kapoor's Mera Naam Joker (1970), because that's what is available in the public domain. That is what is reported again and again by the media. Did we ever give a damn about Giovanni Pastrone or D. W. Griffith, who were even better filmmakers? Let's be honest, how many critics and movie buffs have seen their films or at least know their names? So again, it's what the media and critics show you, press on you. R. Balki's Chup may force you to accept this fact, and at the same time, it exposes many biased critics and their unethical working system. It's one hell of a concept to come up with, particularly being a part of the same fraternity, and except for Balki, I don't think anyone else would have enough guts. But as a film, I mean, as a psychological thriller, Chup has many flaws that can't be termed minor.Chup is about a flower shop owner, Danny (Dulquer Salmaan), who falls in love with an entertainment reporter, Nila (Shreya Dhanwanthary). Meanwhile, Inspector Aravind (Sunny Deol) is after a psycho killer who is killing film critics for their biased/unacceptable reviews. The killer leaves his mark by carving stars (ratings) on the victim's head as feedback for their review. Unable to find the killer, Aravind brings Zenobia (Pooja Bhatt), a criminal psychologist, on board to understand the mindset of the psycho hunter. All that you get to see in Chup is how the killer is related to critics and what makes it connected to Guru Dutt.R. Balki, as a writer, never fails to bring unique concepts on board. Cheeni Kum, Paa, Shamitabh, Ki & Ka, and PadMan. All these films were written by him, and we know every film had a unique and challenging script. The screenplay of Chup is co-written by Raja Sen (a film critic himself) and Rishi Virmani, which comes with its own pluses and flaws. Sen knows about the relationship between film critics, movies, reviews, PRs, and filmmakers, so he definitely brings a lot of that realism into his screenwriting, but not everything. Why? Is it a fear of exposing the Bollywood industrial scams?I think Chup was perhaps the best and only chance where the corrupt critics and filmmakers could have been exposed. Chup tries, but remains filtered most of the time. Also, the thrilling elements are quite few here, and it is a very predictable film. We all know Sunny Deol is going to catch the killer and save one of the critics, but why do the writers have to stretch this simple segment with flashbacks and repeated algorithms? The climax also suffers due to the repetitive treatment of the writers, even though Balki tries to make it look metaphorical with the use of a background score and classic retro songs.Dulaquer Salmaan is a legend in the making. He just reached a decade of a career, and what a glorious filmography he has made in such a short time. He has classics and good films in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu cinema, and now he has another good film in Hindi cinema after Karwaan (2018). Let's just assume that he did not do The Zoya Factor (2019), which he unfortunately did. Chup provides him with a prominent role in the psychological thriller genre along with romance, and he explores new dimensions of his acting skills under the direction of genius Balki. Shreya Dhanwanthary continues her great form after back-to-back OTT hits and critically acclaimed performances. The mass hero Sunny Deol is seen in a different role, which has a comic vibe to it (how often do we see him doing it?), and the combination is made interesting by his furious image. We miss his fights and battles, though. Pooja Bhatt appears in the second half when you seek out a new, intriguing character. The timing and characterization are bang on! The supporting cast had less scope, but it was okay.Chup isn't a typical Bollywood thriller with messy songs, but yes, it is slowed down by songs a bit. Gaya Gaya is shot beautifully, so you enjoy watching Mumbai's locations, and Sahir Ludhianvi's classic Ye Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye leaves you with the same impact as it did decades ago. The dialogues are clap worthy, but not the regular claps with your hands. This is something that absorbs you with a long lasting impact. One such was that 'Social media' dialogue and how can we get over Amitabh Bachchan's meaningful speech. Vishal Sinha's camera captures plenty of silently noisy frames, while Nayan Bhadra's editing keeps you hooked for 135 minutes. Now that's the question: does a thriller film need 130 minutes to deliver its context? Do you really believe every single moment is used for the correct exposure of your narrative? R. Balki could answer them better verbally, but his film goes away without any answers.Chup could have been a great film, something that we don't get to see very often and something that can be used as an example for years, but Balki misses the mark. Just like Shamitabh and Ki & Ka, Balki combines a high concept with a low vision of filmmaking. Chup will surprise you in a variety of ways and will raise your expectations throughout the show, only to leave you feeling less satisfied after increasing your craving. Promising too much is one of the major problems here, but otherwise, as a moderate psychological thriller, it offers too much for a regular thriller, especially the concept of film criticism. It's just a matter of how much you care about it. For Guru Dutt, bad reviews meant the end of his career, but did the bad reviews affect Ramesh Sippy's Sholay? That's what differentiates audiences from critics, so better watch Chup rather than stay Chup (silent) for the rest of your life.