Premium27 years of Gupt: Revisiting the iconic 1997 thriller and Kajol's unforgettable performance as killer
Celebrating 27 years of Gupt, we look back at the thrilling masterpiece of Hindi cinema.
Last Updated: 10.23 AM, Jul 04, 2024
27 years have passed since the release of the thrilling film with a twist-filled climax. We rarely see the leading lady of a Hindi film as the main antagonist. Yes, we are talking about Rajiv Rai's action thriller Gupt: The Hidden Truth from 1997, featuring Bobby Deol, Kajol, and Manisha Koirala. The film has become part of pop culture because it portrays Kajol as a serial killer who does it all for love. In case you are planning to have a thriller ride, revisit Gupt on Prime Video and ZEE5 (OTTplay Premium).
Gupt plot and characters
The film also features supporting performances by Raj Babbar, Om Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Dalip Tahil, Prem Chopra, Sharat Saxena, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Mukesh Rishi, and Priya Tendulkar. Louis Thomas's 1967 novel Good Children Don't Kill serves as the plot inspiration for one of the finest thrillers in Hindi cinema.
In Gupt, Sahil (Bobby) is hell-bent on proving his innocence after being jailed for the death of his stepfather (Babbar). With Sheetal's (Manisha) help, he manages to escape from prison, but inspector Udham Singh (Puri) is determined to catch him.
Kajol's perspective on her role
Earlier, in an interview, while talking about the negative role in Gupt, Kajol said that it was the unexpectedness of the film's plot, the character, and the shock factor that made it so shocking. Doing it was brave of them, and what drew her in was the plot and the role.
Since Rai had no idea if she would agree to star in the film, Kajol imagines he was a bit anxious. Sitting through a two-hour narration, he perspired heavily. She and her sister Tanisha were both like, "I have to do this film" by the time it was over. It was just right for the actor, no doubt about it.
When asked about her mother and veteran actor Tanuja's reaction to her performance in Gupt, Kajol revealed that her mother exclaimed, "Oh my, what a film!" Even if her mom enjoys her performances more than her films, that's still the greatest compliment she could receive.