Chup: Director R Balki asks film critics to be ‘sensitive’, questions their love for cinema

The interesting trailer of R Balki’s next film Chup: Revenge of the Artist was released on Monday, September 5. The psychological thriller stars Sunny Deol on a mission to track down a serial killer who murders film critics and engraves starry ratings on their foreheads.

Since the trailer was released, it generated huge buzz among the cinegoers for its unique concept and talented star cast that includes Malayalam star Dulquer Salmaan, Pooja Bhatt, and Shreya Dhanwanthary, along with the Gadar actor. After the trailer release, the filmmaker has now revealed the reason behind his idea to make the film.

R Balki revealed that it was a negative review of his first film Cheeni Kum, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu, that left him so depressed that he stopped reading reviews of all his films unless someone sent him a positive review. In a recent interview, the filmmaker asked the film critics to be ‘sensitive’ and questioned their love for cinema.

Talking to Scroll.in, Balki said, “We have become a nation of critics, critiquing everything under the sun. We have stopped thinking about what people’s work means to them, what pains someone goes through. Things can be liked or disliked, but it can be expressed with sensitivity. Bravado on paper in a public space can really hurt people.”

He added that film critics are supposed to love cinema and hence, should approach their work with sensitivity. The filmmaker continued that film critics have the responsibility of supporting good cinema and moviegoers need the support of knowledgeable film critics to watch good films in theatre.

READ | Chup trailer: Sunny Deol hunts serial killer who murders film critics in Dulquer Salmaan, Pooja Bhatt starrer

Balki has helmed critically and commercially successful films in the past such as Paa starring Amitabh Bachchan-Abhishek Bachchan-Vidya Balan, Ki & Ka with Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor, and Pad Man headlined by Akshay Kumar and supported by Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte.