'Gupt' among 'Vogue's 'Best Thrillers,' joins 'Gone Girl'
The 1997 film Gupt, directed by Rajiv Rai and starring Bobby Deol, Kajol, and Manisha Koirala, has been ranked 38th on Vogue's list of "best thrillers" of all time. The film shares this honor with globally acclaimed thrillers such as The Silence of the Lambs, Gone Girl, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Promising Young Woman. Talking to Zoom, Rai expressed his delight at the recognition, stating, "I do feel honored that my film has been appreciated."
Director discussed challenges in making thrillers
In his interview, Rai highlighted the scarcity of suspense thrillers in Bollywood. He noted that while South Indian cinema frequently produces suspense films, Bollywood tends to shy away from this genre. Rai suggested that filmmakers might avoid suspense films due to concerns about audiences not returning for repeat viewings once they know the outcome. He encouraged other filmmakers to explore the suspense genre.
Rai credits original story and music for 'Gupt's success
Talking about Drishyam which "reveals the suspense from the start," Rai argued that a well-made film can attract audiences regardless of its genre. "Gupt is about guessing the killer's identity...it's like you play with the audience's mind and that's very interesting for me." He added, "With Gupt, it had very good music for repeat value; also the story was different. It wasn't ever copied or inspired from any film. It was an original subject with Viju Shah's music."
Meanwhile, revisit the plot of 'Gupt'
The story of Gupt revolves around Sahil Sinha (Deol), who is in love with Isha (Kajol) but faces opposition from his authoritarian father, Jaisingh (Raj Babbar), who wants him to marry someone else. After a violent argument, Jaisingh is murdered, and Sahil is accused of the crime. He is sentenced to life in prison but escapes to search for the true killer. Despite the film's success, Rai revealed that he has no plans to remake Gupt or create a sequel.
