UI: Real Star Upendra to release film with surprise twist for audiences?

UI, which marks Upendra’s return to direction after nearly a decade has been censored and is ready for its date with audiences on December 20, 2024.

Upendra in UI

Kannada filmmaker-actor Upendra’s trademark, as far as films that he’s written and directed go, is that they are exaggerated to the extent that some stuff may seem distasteful to sections of audiences and yet, they are designed to be thought-provoking, either about society at large or human behavior, as the case may be.

His next, UI, which comes almost a decade after Uppi 2, has been shrouded in mystery. It is set in the not-too-far future – 2040 – where people are reeling under the impact of years of inflation, war, global warming, religious division, etc. Netizens speculate based on the teasers Upendra has released so far that he plays two characters in the film – one a Kalki avatar-like savior and the other, an AI-driven authoritarian antagonist.

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What Upendra has planned for UI?

Ahead of its December 20 theatrical release, the film was censored U/A, with a reported runtime of around 130 minutes only. What’s interesting is that a source says that Upendra is contemplating a surprise twist for audiences. UI has, apparently, been shot with two plausible endings, and the filmmaker-actor is looking at releasing both albeit in different theatres.

While the film’s subject is expected to become a talking point, Upendra is also looking at having audiences emerge after the first show and discuss the alternate endings. This may, in turn, get them to watch the film again to see the climax they hadn’t already. What Upendra does eventually will be revealed only on December 20, but there’s no doubt, that whatever it is will be of immense social relevance.

Upendra’s UI to compete with Barroz, Marco, Viduthalai, Thandel and more

A couple of decades ago, though, the Malayalam film industry had experimented with releasing one film with 2 endings. Harikrishnans, which had Mammootty and Mohanlal vying for the attention of heroine Juhi Chawla. The endings were tailored to suit both actors’ fan groups and released accordingly.

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