R Balki's 'Chup' to have free pan-India screenings before release
In a first, filmmaker R Balki has announced free screenings of his upcoming film Chup: Revenge of the Artist on Tuesday even before its release. The special "freeviews" are available in 10 cities. Touted to be an "ode to the sensitive artiste" Guru Dutt, the psychological thriller is set to release on Friday. It stars Dulquer Salmaaan, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Sunny Deol, and Pooja Bhatt.
Why does this story matter?
Chup is the story of a "critics' killer" who specifically targets and mutilates the bodies of film critics who don't give favorable reviews to films. Hence, this move, unsurprisingly, fits into the film's narrative. While it is a norm in the industry to hold special advance screenings for the critics, Chup has scripted history by giving precedence to the viewers and not reviewers!
Balki wants the audience's opinion first
R Balki came bearing gifts for cinephiles on Saturday and, through a video, shared the exciting "freeviews" announcement. "Traditionally, most films have been shown to the critics and the film industry before the audience. For the first time ever, the audience will get to see a film before anybody else. The audience will pass their opinion of the film before anybody else," he said.
Is your city on this special list?
Chup's special public freeviews have been organized in 10 cities—Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Gurugram, Jaipur, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad—on Tuesday (September 20). One can book tickets on BookMyShow to grab seats absolutely free of cost! Co-producer Pen Studios' founder Dr. Jayantilal Gada said, "It gives us great pleasure to provide good content to audience, even if free as we believe in entertaining them."
Take a look at the official announcement here
Here's all you need to know about 'Chup'
Chup: Revenge of the Artist has been co-written by Raja Sen (Go Goa Gone) and Rishi Virmani (Singh Is Kinng). It's bankrolled by Hope Productions, helmed by Balki and his director-wife Gauri Shinde, and Pen Studios, among others. Vishal Sinha (Darna Mana Hai) has handled the cinematography. Salmaan earlier called it an "experimental" film, emphasizing that the psychological thriller will certainly raise audiences' intrigue.
