DQ's performance in Chup: Mediocre eccentricity

Chup written and directed by R Balki starring Sunny Deol, Dulquar Salman and Shreya Dhanwantary
released on 23rd September. This day was special not just because it was a day before the weekend but
because it celebrated as the National Cinema Day. All the tickets despite of the show and theatre were
all sold for Rs. 75.

But Chup's trailer was promising and assured the cine audience an unconventional serial killer thriller.
But the hype of the movie died down after the first two days because the movie lacks to deliver the
perfomance it promised. The excitement of the malayalee audience to see DQ in such a challenging role
in Bollywood died down like wet fireworks. But how does this reflect on DQ's performance? Malayalee
audience are not privy to the idea that the movie may not work but the performance does. Here we
analyse what led to DQ's performance to not sparkle its usual charm.

Casting

The idea of our chullan DQ who has starred in heart warming movies like Charlie and Varane
Avashyumundu in the role of a serial killer is a difficult pill to swallow. Apart from that DQ lacks the killer
instinct and the typical manifestations the audience observes in serial killers. His chemistry with Sunny
Deol is also a hit and miss which leads the audience to actually believe his love story with Nila but his
inability to be a serial killer. It feels like a forced casting where a person with extreme vengeance and
frustration is forced to perform homicides.

Portrayal

The "unconventional" serial killer ticks all the boxes of a conventional serial killer like a troubled
childhood, physical abuse, a major life trauma that causes deep pain as well as an intense love for
animals and plants yet not shying away from killing humans. To add to this DQ is also a payankili lover
boy leading to the most obvious climax. The predictable plot and the weak script seem to be reaching
high goals but unable to tie the loose ends. The portrayal of the serial killer is unnatural. The reason for
the homicides is also stimulated leaving the audience disappointed.

It is very evident from the first few scenes that DQ is most likely suffering from a mental disorder like
schizophrenia leading him to talk to himself as two different people. He mentions hearing voices in his
head as well as his obsessive nature. It is important to say that he has done a fairly decent job with his
accent and language however there is a feeling that DQ is attempting to fit into the role but is unable to
deliver a audience grabbing performance.
The plot is promising but the script is weak and a longer encounter between the police and killer
would've added to the excitement of the audience. Dulquar's eccentricity as a serial killer is mediocre
and not a perfomance that will be testament to his career.

Final verdict

However, DQ's screen presence is worth noting as he tries to wreak terror and havoc but minor
alterations to the character and the script would have definitely benefitted the movie as a whole. the
ratings of the movie is quite high though the reviews are mostly sugar coated and review it as decent.
the gory and gruesome depiction of murders, the creativity and the signature style of the killer should
be commended and the background music deals with the common horror of a mystery and thriller
movie.

The movie attempts to pay a homage to those old directors and the movies who didn't perform as well
and were thus unfair to the artist. The intended aim of the movie and the trailer is exhilarating, but the
depiction was unfortunately mediocre.