UI movie review: Upendra goes into preacher mode overdrive in film that falls short on entertainment

UI movie review: UI is Real Star Upendra’s return to direction in nearly a decade and has his trademark philosophies. But is that enough to make for an engrossing viewing experience?

Upendra in a poster of UI

UI

UI movie story: Director Upendra's dilemma about a script he wrote, has him choosing a different path and making a movie that divides audiences, with some calling for it to be banned. A critic, who has seen the film multiple times and is struggling to decode it, sets out to find out what the filmmaker intended to say and stumbles upon the original script and the tale of Satya vs Kalki.

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UI movie review: As the credits rolled at the end of UI, the absolute lack of reaction from the audience was not surprising. It wasn’t a stunned silence of astonishment, but rather wide-eyed bewilderment. There were quite a few “Thale kettogide” refrains and that they didn’t quite comprehend what Upendra intended with the film. Mind you, these were fans of the filmmaker-actor, who’d caught the early morning show and were mentally prepared for his brand of cinema.

I am, no doubt, not Upendra’s target audience. Cinema, for me, has to be engaging and entertaining; a movie hall is not where I want a lesson on morality. Subtle messaging is fine, but a start-to-finish relentless assault on the senses about good vs bad, human-made problems like ecological damage, and social, economic, political and religious divides, is a strict no-no - especially, when the tone is preachy, despite the attempt to mask it with ‘commercial elements’, aka romance and glamour in the form of Reeshma Nanaiah, and some action thrown in for good measure.

At its core, UI is about making good choices in all walks of life; choices that are rooted in sound logic and not influenced/inspired by conditioning. The film is also where the filmmaker waxes eloquently about his take on politics, herd mentality, etc. He makes quite a few fair points, but to what avail? Will an onscreen call for social reform translate into palpable action? The film is being described as ‘typical Upendra style’, but should that be the accepted norm every time, even when the final product feels flat and not worth the effort?

During the promotions of the film, Upendra had said that while UI has multiple layers, he has presented it in a way that anyone can understand. And true to his word, there is a lot of spoon-feeding. Upendra’s Intelligence has been simplified by the filmmaker, so, you don’t really have to rack your brain to get a basic gist. There is quite a bit that he’s crammed into the 2-hour film and chances are that you may miss a few pointers amid the mayhem.

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UI is an out-and-out Upendra vehicle; he even gives himself a dual role. As Kalki is where Upendra truly finds himself, spewing one universal truth after another. The rest of the cast are but mere caricatures. BGM by Ajaneesh Loknath is not bad, but the visual effects, especially those with strobe lights, can cause discomfort.

UI movie verdict: If I were to borrow a line from a Mammootty flick, UI is a movie that you need sense, sensitivity and sensibility for. Decoding it is not exactly rocket science, but the level of enjoyment one derives is purely subjective. This film may or may not work for you; it didn’t for me.

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