It weirdly feels like home writing for these pages of t2. It weirdly feels like home making a thriller again after Shaheb Bibi Golaam (2016). Chaalchitro — The Frame Fatale is also my first feature film since February 2020. The world was different then, before the pandemic. What’s still the same, always was, and always will be is the recipe of a riveting edge-of-the-seat thriller. Here’s me trying to list the essential elements that make for an outstanding thriller even as I try to jot down the ingredients I used for Chaalchitro, which releases today in the cinemas.

A Gripping Premise

Every great thriller begins with an intriguing premise that hooks the audience from the word go. A well-crafted premise serves as the backbone of the story, establishing the stakes and inviting the audience to piece together the puzzle alongside the protagonists. Take the example of Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000), where the story of a man with short-term memory loss trying to find his wife’s killer immediately captivates viewers with its emotional stakes. Similarly, Reema Kagti’s Talaash (2012) opens with a mysterious car accident leading to a death, drawing a police inspector into a labyrinth of secrets and lies.

Chaalchitro plunges straightaway into a murder investigation when a woman is brutally killed and pinned to a sofa frame on the wall of her rented apartment in Calcutta. There are more murders and they all seem to be pointing towards a case from 12 years back, throwing the Joint CP Kanishka Chatterjee (Tota Roy Choudhury) and his team — DCP Naseer Rehman (Anirban Chakrabarti), ACP Ritesh Kumar (Shantanu Maheshwari) and ACP Biswarup Adhikari (Indrajeet Bose) — into complete disarray.

Complex Characters

Thrillers thrive on characters with depth and flaws, often blurring the lines between good and evil. Choosing the most appropriate protagonist and antagonist is critical as the two often serve as catalysts for each other’s growth. In the Coen brothers’ Fargo (1996), a pregnant small-town police chief, stands out as a refreshing and morally grounded protagonist as she navigates a case of greed and murder. Opposing her are the criminals, each with distinct quirks and psychological flaws.

Kanishka in Chaalchitro is a study in contrasts. As a dedicated police officer, he is methodical and sharp in his investigation but his personal life reveals a more vulnerable side. His professional resolve often clashes with his emotional fragility, creating moments of profound tension and introspection. The other cops too have their own compelling motivations and internal conflicts, enhancing the audience’s investment in their arcs. The attempt is to use these layers to add a haunting depth to the film, elevating it beyond just another thriller.

Pacing and Tension

A successful thriller maintains a steady rhythm, with moments of calm followed by escalating tension. Peaks and valleys in pacing keep the audience engrossed, ensuring that the story doesn’t become monotonous. Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) exemplifies masterful pacing. The film gradually builds tension as a former detective becomes obsessed with a woman he is hired to follow. Each scene deepens the mystery and heightens the psychological stakes, culminating in an unforgettable climax. Closer home, in Neeraj Pandey’s A Wednesday! (2008), the brisk pacing, combined with the unpredictability of the protagonist’s next move, keeps viewers hooked until the very end.

My editor Antara Lahiri was very particular in reaching a particular plot point or twist at a certain duration into the film. She also manages to assign a relentless pace to Chaalchitro within the first few moments and then just doesn’t let it drop, balancing emotional moments with high-stakes confrontations, ensuring an engaging narrative.

Twists and Turns

A hallmark of any good thriller is its ability to surprise. Plot twists that are both shocking — and logical — elevate the viewing experience. M. Night Shyamalan’s breakthrough film The Sixth Sense (1999) masterfully reveals its twist in the final act, recalibrating everything the audience has witnessed. Similarly, Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani (2012) delivers a jaw-dropping climax where Vidya’s true motivations come to light, leaving the audience astonished yet satisfied.

I never wrote Chaalchitro as a film that banks on one humdinger of a twist at the end. Some times to achieve the “aha” moment, we often wrap the audiences in utter disbelief in the climax, spoiling everything that has been shown till then. So, I consciously chose to go with a structure where there are constant twists and turns in the screenplay, with breadcrumbs laid throughout the narrative.

Atmosphere and Cinematography

Creating an immersive atmosphere is absolutely crucial for a thriller. Lighting, lensing and camera movement all contribute to the film’s mood. In Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners (2013), the gloomy, rain-soaked visuals created by master cinematographer Roger Deakins mirror the despair and moral ambiguity faced by its characters. Every frame feels deliberate, adding layers of tension. In Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun (2018), K. Mohanan uses long takes and claustrophobic framing to pull viewers into the unsettling world of the film.

In Chaalchitro, 26-year-old Turja Ghosh makes his debut as a cinematographer. Turja and I decided to go full-on grungy with the images, keeping them shadowy and dark, with coarse textures. The other big decision was to shoot the entire film handheld, keeping the energy high right through. If any sequence deserves special mention visually, it’s the action setpiece featuring Shantanu Maheshwari where we wanted the audience to be ‘inside the fight’. Turja shot the whole thing on only one lens (18mm), filming it like a dance performance.

Background Score

A well-crafted background score enhances the emotional and psychological impact of a thriller. Music amplifies tension, evokes dread, or provides brief relief, invisibly guiding the audience through the film’s emotional landscape. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s haunting score in David Fincher’s Gone Girl (2014) adds an ominous undercurrent that intensifies key moments, blending seamlessly with the visual storytelling.

For Chaalchitro, my music director Debojyoti Mishra had the challenging task of thematically shifting between melancholic and suspenseful, mirroring the personal and professional journeys of the four policemen. For the haunting backstory of Kanishka (Tota), we went with the shehnai, which was last used in a thriller — Rituparno Ghosh’s Shubho Mahurat (2003), also by Mishra. The edgy pulsating score of our film is punctuated so effectively by the piercing notes of the traditional Indian wind instrument, which is usually synonymous with weddings.

A Satisfying Resolution

The conclusion of a thriller must provide closure, tying up loose ends while leaving a lasting impression. It’s not always about a happy ending but one that feels earned and thought-provoking. Bryan Singer’s The Usual Suspects (1995) delivers one of the most iconic endings in thriller history. The revelation of Verbal Kint’s true identity as Keyser Soze reframes the entire narrative, leaving the audience in awe of the intricate deception. In Jeethu Joseph’s Drishyam (2013), the resolution showcases George Kutty’s brilliance in outwitting the police, delivering a satisfying payoff for the tension built throughout the film. It’s a conclusion that reinforces the themes of family, deception, and survival.

The ending of Chaalchitro, well, I can’t reveal that, can I? But I do promise satisfaction. Because one truth remains universal in cinema: humanity must triumph in some form by the end. Be it through moral victories, emotional catharsis, or a restored sense of justice, a film resonates most when it champions the resilience, vulnerability, and strength of the human spirit. It is this connection to our shared humanity that makes Chaalchitro a story that will hopefully linger in your hearts and minds long after you’ve left the theatres.