Chup: Revenge of the Artist is a psychological crime thriller film starring Sunny Deol as Crime Branch Mumbai Head Arvind Mathur, Dulquer Salmaan as a florist Danny, Shreya Dhanwanthary as Nila Menon, an entertainment reporter, Saranya Ponvanna as Nila’s mother and Pooja Bhatt as Zenobia, a criminal psychologist. The film was written and directed by R Balki. The director penned the screenplay with Raja Sen and Rishi Virmani.
The cinematography is by Vishal Sinha and the editing is done by Nayan H K Bhadra. Aman Panth has composed the background score, and the songs are composed by Amit Trivedi, Sneha Khanwalker and SD Burman. The movie is produced by Hope Production and distributed by Pen Marudhar Cine Entertainment. The runtime of Chup is 135 minutes approx.
Chup Movie Review Contains No Spoilers
Chup: Revenge of the Artist Review: Plot, Discussion
In Chup: Revenge of the Artist movie, a serial killer murders film critics for their reviews. He carves the number of stars they give in their reviews on their forehead. It’s one of a kind case for the Mumbai Police, who have no idea where to start and who to suspect. What is the reason for the madness and the hate for film critics? Is film criticism good or bad? R Balki answers a lot of questions in his style.
Movie making is a personal experience, and so is watching the same. When a director makes a movie, he shares his vision, ideas and perspective with the world. As a viewer, you either submerge in the story entirely or connect with the parts of it. However, as a critic, your job is to judge how much of the emotions, portrayals, and ideas make sense or how they could’ve been better.
Criticism can make and break someone’s spirit. In Chup, Balki constantly reminds us of how the critics trashed Guru Dutt’s Kaagaz Ke Phool, which was very personal to Dutt. The excessive negative criticism affected Guru sir so much that he stopped making movies and suffered mentally. Now, we meet a man who wants to seek revenge for the artist he loves the most.
Also Read: Hush Hush Review: Juhi Chawla, Soha Ali Khan, and Others Keep You Guessing in the Mystery Thriller
By keeping murders of film critics as the base premise, R Balki has struck a balance of good and bad sides of criticism. He smartly indicates that not every review is authentic. But he tells how necessary it is, not only for the public but for filmmakers. The director has put forward these points very well with a surprise cameo.
The story feels like you are watching a movie in a movie with tension in the air. There are flowers, romance, rain, music and good-looking characters. There are conversations about how movies make life better and how reality is quite sad. You’ll be delighted to see several movie references, classic songs, and easter eggs.
Chup Review: Performances
Dulquer Salmaan is charming and terrifying as Danny in the Chup movie. It’s his third Hindi movie, and he has again delivered a knockout performance. His madness, sweetness and maniac side will keep you engrossed. Balki penned a complex character like Danny with great attention and you are invested in his actions and life.
Sunny Deol brings a tremendous impact and intensity with his character Arvind Mathur. His search for the serial killer is quite frustrating, and one can sense that through the screen. However, I wish there were more scenes between the cop and the culprit. Shreya Dhanwanthary represents many of us – movie lovers who want to fall in love in a filmy style. The actor has done a good job as Nila.
Actor Saranya Ponvannan plays Nila’s mother, a woman who is blind but lives a colourful life. She’s full of energy and very cool. Pooja Bhatt has done a good job as Zenobia. I want to see her solve more such serial killer cases with Sunny Deol as a cop.
Chup Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, the makers have taken a great risk by telling the tale of Guru Dutt’s cinema and its impact on a person in today’s time. But the movie is a winner, thanks to the compelling narrative, top-notch performance and good music with great insight on filmmaking and film criticising.
It’s a must-watch for the love of cinema, for the adoration for good performances and amazing stories.
The movie releases in theatres on September 23. Book your tickets here.
Also Read: Andor (Ep 1-3) Recap and Review: Diego Luna Series Is More Noir Than Sci-Fi