Will Real Star Upendra’s return to direction take off this year?

Kannada actor-filmmaker Upendra is, undoubtedly, a maverick director – every time he has gone behind the camera, his work has either been nominated for or won accolades, be it A, Upendra, Budhivanta, Super, or Uppi 2. So, it is no surprise that his fans and followers are keenly awaiting word on his next directorial. It is, after all, almost six years since his last, Uppi 2.

With only days to go for the Real Star’s birthday (September 18), there is a buzz that an announcement could be on the cards. But in an interview with the New Indian Express, Uppi, as the actor is fondly called, said that although he has been trying to get a project rolling since 2020, his efforts have not panned out owing to the pandemic. The actor was quoted as saying that the current situation is not conducive for him to get a directorial on floors and that he will be wait for the film industry to find its footing again before embarking on filmmaking himself. Uppi added that the earliest possible date for a directorial announcement could be in November this year, depending on how the pandemic plays out.

In the meantime, the actor, who has Home Minister with Vedhika ready for release, will focus on completing his commitments as an actor, including the pan-India big-ticket R Chandru film Kabzaa and Lagaam, in which he is paired with Hariprriya. There’s the Maurya DN film Budhivanta 2 as well, with Sonal Monteiro and Meghana Raj, but there’s been no word on this project for a while. The next schedule of Kabzaa is set to begin on September 20, and the project is likely to keep Uppi busy for a few months. An occasional singer, the actor-filmmaker, recently sang a track for the horror thriller, Alle Draw Alle Bahumana, set to tune by composer Vijayraj. Uppi also says that although there are other projects in the pipeline, official announcements will be made only once they are ready to go on floors.