CHUP

Il regista R. Balki predilige i soggetti bizzarri, ormai è assodato. E Chup bizzarro lo è parecchio, deliziosamente bizzarro. La generosa sceneggiatura non si risparmia, e ci regala in un colpo solo:

- un thriller originale, ma è un peccato che l'assassino venga rivelato a metà film, stratagemma narrativo sempre più comune (la giustificazione: la trama non è centrata su chi fa cosa, bensì sul come e sul perché lo fa);

- una storia d'amore dall'estetica morbida e sognante;

- a tratti una divertente black comedy;

- una riflessione sulla critica cinematografica, amatoriale inclusa, e sulle motivazioni che dovrebbero spingere un regista a realizzare i suoi progetti;

- un'incursione nel mondo dell'industria hindi, da tempo nell'occhio del ciclone (e i professionisti del settore sembrano ripiegarsi su se stessi per trovare una conferma del valore del proprio lavoro);

- un tributo al genio di Guru Dutt.

Chup non è impeccabile ma è comunque molto curato. Confesso che mi ha quasi incantata con le sue atmosfere retró, con una fotografia seducente, con inquadrature ammalianti. Un curioso incrocio di pulp e poesia, un ritmo che alterna accelerazioni e languori. I dialoghi sono piuttosto precisi. La definizione del contesto apprezzabile. Nila e Danny, i due protagonisti, sono tratteggiati con perizia. È stato fatto un buon lavoro nel delineare la figura dell'assassino, malgrado Chup non sia un thriller psicologico in senso stretto - i temi toccati sono numerosi, e dunque non rimane troppo spazio per le sottigliezze psicologiche. 

Dichiaro ufficialmente il mio amore per Dulquer Salmaan, attore piacevolissimo, mai sfrontato, mai impositivo, che ti lavora ai fianchi e ti cattura prima ancora che tu possa rendertene conto. Shreya Dhanwanthary è credibile e disinvolta. Sunny Deol mi soddisfa sempre quando interpreta ruoli seri e contenuti, e mi addolora che non venga scritturato più spesso.

TRAMA

A Mumbai c'è un pazzo fuori di testa che ogni settimana sventra un critico cinematografico. Con grande gusto e platealità. Il terrore serpeggia nell'ambiente dei media dedicati all'intrattenimento. La polizia non si raccapezza. Ma la vita continua. E degli esotici, galeotti tulipani fanno incontrare Nila e Danny.

ASSOLUTAMENTE DA NON PERDERE

* Le folli sequenze splatter. Ne avrei volute molte ma molte di più perché al riguardo sono insaziabile.

RECENSIONI

Mid-Day: *** 1/2

'Frankly, the premise of this serial-killer picture is so frickin’ delightfully absurd that you simply fall for the idea, first - because, how can you not? (...) This is deeply unique/original. As are films, in general, of writer-director R. Balki. That, I suspect, essentially emanate from a terse, one-line idea. (...) Typical to his style, what Balki tightly weaves around his thought is actually a lightness of mainstream touch. (...) Now, practically anyone with fingers and a cellphone is a film reviewer. Which is what makes Chup a really well-timed, contemporary film - if you expand its inherent point to the ‘troll culture’ that surrounds us. With folks on social media, in particular, callously directing sickly barbs at public figures in general, without a thought at how it affects those the darts land on. I saw callous movie critics in this meta movie, as merely a metaphor. And yes, it did make me think of my job a little more - a reason this film feels so, so close to home'.  

Mayank Shekhar, 24.09.22

Recensione integrale

Firstpost: ** 1/2

'In the first half of Chup, Balki succeeds in creating an atmosphere of intrigue, with a blend of a deliberately languorous pace that is a curious contrast to the urgency of the police’s task. (...) The film’s grip loosens considerably as it rolls along, due to the weakness of the love saga at the centre of these proceedings. (...) Shreya and Dulquer are both capable of fine acting, but any emotional resonance they might have achieved is overshadowed by the director’s preoccupation with ambience and appearance. (...) Its critique of criticism is largely on point, taking on financially corrupt reviewers, those who act like astrologers predicting a film’s box-office fate, and those with insufficient knowledge of cinema, all this without coming across as a condescending lecture and without caricaturing individual critics or lampooning the job. (...) Sunny Deol is unusually restrained in Chup until a Gadar-esque moment that ruins everything for him and is strangely out of character for the policeman he plays. (...) Chup never fully rises above being interesting in theory. (...) Despite its positives, Chup’s aspirations to grandeur make it far less engaging than its uncommon theme might suggest. Balki’s film fails to grasp the essence of Guru Dutt’s magic, which was rooted not merely in the beauty of visuals and music, but in the ability to use both to capture the pain, mischief, sense of humour, love and longing of his characters with empathy. In contrast, Chup feels distant from its characters and uninvolved'.

Anna MM Vetticad, 23.09.22

Recensione integrale

Cinema Hindi: *** 1/2

Punto di forza: la bizzarria, lo splatter, ma anche la poesia e l'atmosfera. Sceneggiatura corposa che mescola generi e argomenti. Il fascino rassicurante di Dulquer Salmaan.

Punto debole: il personaggio dell'ispettore meritava una definizione e uno spazio maggiori. 

SCHEDA DEL FILM

Cast:

* Sunny Deol - Arvind, ispettore di polizia

* Dulquer Salmaan - Danny, fioraio

* Shreya Dhanwanthary - Nila, giornalista

* Pooja Bhatt - Zenobia, criminologa

* Amitabh Bachchan - cameo

* Raja Sen - cameo

Regia e soggetto: R. Balki

Sceneggiatura e dialoghi: R. Balki, Raja Sen, Rishi Virmani.

Colonna sonora: Amit Trivedi, Sneha Khanwalkar, S.D. Burman. Commento musicale di Aman Pant, ma il brano strumentale che accompagna i titoli di coda è stato composto, suonato e registrato da Amitabh Bachchan. Segnalo la canzone Mera Love Main di Amit Trivedi, e Ye Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye, soave rielaborazione di Sneha Khanwalkar del brano omonimo di S.D. Burman.

Fotografia: Vishal Sinha

Montaggio: Nayan Bhadra

Traduzione del titolo: silenzio! 

Anno: 2022

Trailer

RASSEGNA STAMPA

* You're not becoming a critic to tear cinema down, intervista concessa da Raja Sen a Patcy N., pubblicata da Rediff il 19 ottobre 2022:

'How did the idea of Chup happen? Whose idea was it?

It was very much Balki's idea. He is someone I have reviewed in the past, often not very favourably. (...) At some point, he called me and said, why don't you come to the office, I want to discuss an idea with you. I used to be in advertising many, many, years ago and Balki is an absolute legend in the advertising world. I thought this would be interesting. When I met him, he told me that there's an idea of a film about somebody killing film critics. Because I had just quit film criticism, it felt it was really well timed. It felt like a very meaty idea. I don't think people have made films on critics, especially not this subject. He said I would like you to be a part of this. I said let's start. I had done film writing in the past, but those films had been written and I came on board to change lines... it was not collaborative. I was looking forward to creatively collaborating with a cool person and film-maker.

Tell us about the writing process. (...)

I was frequently called to put on the critic's hat and scrutinise the work. (...) Balki and I primarily think in English. Chup unapologetically has a fair bit of English because we thought it was real for the characters. It's about an artiste and a critic. After a while, I started wearing the artiste's hat, and much more sympathetic to them, saying, 'We should be harder on the critics.' Balki, on the other hand, would say 'No, no, the critics are right.' So it was a very interesting process. Balki even went back and read pretty much every single word I've said about him (in film reviews), and a lot of it is not very complimentary. That was quite an eye opener for me that he, as a creator, collaborator and artiste, was very open to understanding where I was coming from. (...) He realised that critics become critics only because they love cinema. You're not becoming a critic to tear cinema down, you become a critic because the job entails watching a 100 films a year, out of which there will be five or six good films. It's really a glutton for punishment, but you're also optimistic and want to see exciting things. (...)

Whose idea was it to make Guru Dutt the reference point? And why Guru Dutt and his film Kaagaz Ke Phool?

We were thinking about artistes, who have been hit hard by criticism. That was the first name that popped to mind because when Kaagaz Ke Phool happened, it was a commercial failure. That might not have hurt Guru Duttsaab as much as the fact that it was critically savaged. People said it was a failure, they called it self-indulgent. It was a very personal film for him. When we look back at that film, decades later, we love it and call it a classic. But at that point of time, it led to a great depression and introspection. It's not a coincidence that he did not direct again. He was such a prolific director, making films every one or two years, but he decided not to direct any more. It can't have been a coincidence; he must have been deeply hurt. So we were trying to explore that... somebody, who made a film that is (later) universally acknowledged as a classic, is one of the greatest Hindi films of all time... For a man to pour himself so personally into the film, and then to find it failing. Guru Dutt is very much a part of the film. (...)

Did you have a say in the casting?

Yes. The danger of getting a critic on board is that he will meddle and give his opinion everywhere! Balki was such a generous collaborator, he would listen to all of us. I was definitely a part of all the conversations we had about art direction or costumes... I was a very excited and hungry fly on the wall. I even sat in on distributor meetings, which is the most surreal thing in the world. When we wrote the title character, I remember looking at Balki and saying, 'Oh my God. This is such a difficult part, who will play it?' (...) Dulquer is such a special performer. He lifts the material. He came on set with so much conviction and intensity. He was also clear that this was something far out of his comfort zone. (...) Shooting with him was a great experience. He's very nice to hang out with, very cine literate, very eager to embrace feedback. He would do a shot, and ask pretty much everyone around him how good it was, what he could do better'.

CURIOSITÀ

* Il noto critico Raja Sen ha collaborato alla sceneggiatura e ha regalato un cameo. In precedenza, Sen aveva diretto una delle undici parti che compongono il film X. Past is Present (clicca qui).

* Il Mehboob Studio fu fondato a Bandra nel 1954 da Mehboob Khan, regista del leggendario Mother India. In questo studio sono stati girati, fra gli altri, Mother India, Kaagaz Ke Phool e Guide. Nel 2010 il famoso artista Anish Kapoor vi ha installato una mostra.

* Riferimenti al cinema indiano: Guru Dutt, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Silsila, Pyaasa, Rohit Shetty, Ajay Devgan, Amit Trivedi, Rishi Kapoor, Helen, Irrfan Khan. Brani musicali: Jaane Kya Tune Kahi, Sar Jo Tera Chakraye e Ye Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye da Pyaasa, compositore S.D. Burman; Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam e Dekhi Zamane Ki Yaari da Kaagaz Ke Phool, compositore S.D. Burman; Babuji Dheere Chalna da Aar Paar, compositore O.P. Nayyar; Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan da C.I.D., compositore O.P. Nayyar.

GOSSIP & VELENI

* Sunny Deol è figlio di Dharmendra, fratello di Bobby Deol, fratellastro di Esha Deol (figlia di Hema Malini, seconda moglie di Dharmendra), e cugino di Abhay Deol.

* Pooja Bhatt è figlia di Mahesh Bhatt, sorellastra di Alia Bhatt (figlia di Soni Razdan, seconda moglie di Mahesh Bhatt), e cugina di Emraan Hashmi.