Upendra (film)
| Upendra | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Upendra |
| Written by | Upendra |
| Produced by | Shilpa Srinivas |
| Starring | Upendra Raveena Tandon Prema Damini |
| Cinematography | A. V. Krishna Kumar |
| Edited by | T. Shashikumar |
| Music by | Gurukiran |
Production company | Srinivasa Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 138 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
| Box office | ₹ 10 crore[1] |
Upendra is a 1999 Indian Kannada-language psychological drama thriller film written and directed by Upendra. It stars Upendra, Raveena Tandon, Prema and Damini. It is an allegorical film, which explores three human emotions through the relationship between the main character and the three heroines and touches upon Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The lyrics were written by Upendra and the music was composed by Gurukiran. The film developed a cult fanbase and is said that the director named it Upendra with the thought that the name includes the names of the main characters of the film (U for Upendra, P for Prema, D for Damini, and Ra for Raveena).
The film won Filmfare Award for Best Film (Kannada) and Filmfare Award for Best Director (Kannada).[2] It was screened at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in Japan in 2001.[3] A sequel titled Uppi 2 was released in 2015.
Plot
[edit]Betala begins to narrate one of his puzzling tales to Vikramāditya which is the story of Naanu (meaning I/Me/Myself),[4] an ego-driven selfish rogue and the three women in his life. Naanu since childhood hates hypocrisy and always speaks the truth. In the process, he exposes the truth behind everything. A young woman, Rathi whose father, a swami is accosted by Upendra, exposes the hypocrisy of religion and his teachings. Thus, revealing his actual hatred towards his daughter. During this, Rathi falls in love with Naanu. However, she finds out that Naanu wants to marry a billionaire, Keerthi whose deceased father decides that her husband would inherit her entire wealth. He prints wedding cards and distributes them to all, including employees working in Keerthi's establishments. This angers Keerthi who orders her guardian, Marimuthu's son (who wants to marry her for the same reason) to attack Naanu. They bring a woman, Swathi, who lives in Naanu's house, and torture her. Naanu comes to her rescue and it is revealed that Swathi is Naanu's wife.
Rathi meets Naanu in person and confirms that Swathis is indeed his "wife". She threatens to kill both Swathi and Keerthi and herself if Naanu leaves her for either of them. He agrees, and Swathi leaves. Swathi later rescues the couple from Keerthi's henchmen and in turn, Naanu persuades her to return. She too threatens to kill Rathi and Keerthi if Naanu leaves her for any of them, to which Naanu agrees. He continues to be in a relationship with Rathi and hides it from Swathi and vice versa. However, his obsession with Keerthi never dies. He traps Marimuthu and after a turn of events, Keerthi eventually agrees to marry him. While they both are jubilant, Rathi and Swathi learn of his marriage to Keerthi and reach the harbor where the pair is currently hiding from the henchmen of Marimuthu. When they reach the harbor, Keerthi is informed about Naanu's plans and she drops her marriage plans with him. He then kidnaps all three women and kills Marimuthu and his son.
Naanu and the three women reach an old building where an injured Naanu threatens to kill all of them and forces all to be his life partners to which they do not agree. They are interrupted by a rich person who plans to have a party in the building, Gopala.
Gopala it turns out was advised by Naanu in the past to not follow behind women and instead focus on earning money, adding that women will run for you if you are a wealthy man. At the same time, he sees a once-wealthy man (who Naanu encounters throughout the movie) whose wealth is usurped by his girlfriends turning him into a poor man. This pushes Naanu into a dilemma. The three women, with rods in their hands, decide to kill Naanu. Betala stops the story here and asks Vikramāditya whether Naanu would survive or die in their hands. Vikramāditya understands the tale's intention and says that Naanu, Rathi, Swathi, and Keerthi are not actual people and instead represent the human ego, beauty, responsibilities, and money respectively. He concludes that Naanu (representing the self) should die and be reborn.
We go back to Naanu who then sees himself in a mirror and feels ashamed of his traits. He curses himself for pursuing all three women who never gave him any happiness. He realizes the importance of "Us" instead of "I" and decides that ego is the root cause of all issues. By tearing the shirt featuring an imprint of his face, he kills his inner ego and the feeling of "I". The three women disappear and Naanu, now silent and aimless, walks out of the building drenched in the rain.
Cast
[edit]- Upendra as Naanu (translates to I/Me/Myself)
- Raveena Tandon as Keerthi (represents Money, her name also translates as windy)
- Prema as Swathi (represents Responsibility, her name also translates as rainy)
- Damini as Rathi (represents Beauty, her name also translates as summer)
- Sarojamma as Marimuthu
- Gurukiran as Nair
- Arun Govil as Vikramaditya
- V. Manohar as Rathi's father
- R. G. Vijayasarathy as media reporter
- Shankar Bhat as media reporter
Themes and influences
[edit]Upendra said in an interview, "the theme is philosophical, but when I said it in a different way, some people were unable to digest it."[5]
Soundtrack
[edit]Upendra wanted A.R. Rahman to compose for the film, so much so, that he met him and Mani Ratnam in the year 1997 - 98. Since he was busy after the success of Roja, Bombay and he was busy composing for Rangeela, Dil Se, Upendra then opted for Gurukiran.[citation needed] The music was composed by Gurukiran and lyrics penned by Upendra. After a decade he made A.R. Rahman to compose for his movie Godfather in 2012.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Uppigintha Ruchi Bere Illa" | V. Manohar | Upendra | 03:53 |
| 2. | "MTV Subbalakshmige" | Upendra | Udit Narayan | 04:30 |
| 3. | "2000 AD Lady" | V. Manohar | Gurukiran | 05:36 |
| 4. | "Enilla Enilla" | Upendra | Pratima Rao | 04:32 l |
| 5. | "Mastu Mastu Hudugi" | Upendra | Mano | 04:19 |
| 6. | "Raveena" | V. Manohar | Rajesh Krishnan | 05:22 |
| Total length: | 28:12 | |||
There is also a Telugu dubbed soundtrack.
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mastu Mastu" | Mano, Chorus | 03:53 |
| 2. | "Yamadoobu Yamadoobu" | Udit Narayan, Chorus | 04:30 |
| 3. | "Uppuleni Aa Paapu" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Chorus | 05:36 |
| 4. | "Emundi Emundi" | K. S. Chithra | 04:32 |
| 5. | "2000 AD Ladyi" | Gurukiran | 04:19 |
| 6. | "Raveena" | Rajesh Krishnan | 05:22 |
| Total length: | 28:12 | ||
Release and reception
[edit]The film was dubbed in Telugu under the same name.[6] The rights for the film for a release in Telugu were acquired by producer Ambika Krishna.[7]
Critical reception
[edit]The film received positive reviews from critics upon release. Reviewing the film for Deccan Herald, Srikanth wrote, "The film ... hinges on one argument that the world is full of hypocrites. While most of them do not express themselves inside out, there are others like himself who express themselves outwardly, bravely, and rustically." Calling the film's screenplay "excellent", he further wrote, "Upendra has overdone his role as an actor, director, writer etc. Perhaps, we should see him as a director who puts himself in the middle of the action. Damini shines as the debutant girl. Raveena Tandon dashes off a touch of glamour. Prema is herself let down by the character."[8] A critic from Sify wrote that "This film has generated tremendous curiosity right from its production stage and it seems to have justified the hype, the media has created. This film is a progression from Upendra’s A, defying any kind of categorisation. Director Upendra has proved his brilliance once again, bordering on the bizarre, in terms of filmmaking. It is unconventional and ends in an unexpected manner".[4] Regarding the Telugu dubbed version, a critic from Zamin Ryot wrote that the director has shown the emotions of people in the form of human characters that are conversational in the most modern way with the flow of dialogue, although it seems vulgar here and there, the director has shown in bluntly, directly, and bitterly.[6]
Box office
[edit]Upendra was a commercial success and was well received by the audience in Karnataka as well as in Andhra Pradesh.[citation needed] The film had a 200 days run in Karnataka and its Telugu version had a 100 days run in Andhra Pradesh.[citation needed]
Awards
[edit]- Filmfare Award for Best Director (Kannada) (1999)[9]
- Filmfare Award for Best Film (Kannada) (1999)[9]
Sequel
[edit]A sequel to the film titled Uppi 2 was launched on 18 September 2013 at Kanteerava Studios in Bangalore.[10] The film became a commercial success.[11]
In popular culture
[edit]Jaggesh starred in a film called Jithendra (2001), which was against the concept of Upendra (1999).[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "UPENDRA The Utopian". chitraloka.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2000. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Filmfare Awards 2000 Winners". The Hindu. 15 April 2000. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011.
- ^ "Here's a look at films directed by Kannada film star Upendra". The Times of India. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Review: Upendra". Sify. Archived from the original on 11 January 2005. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "Stars : Star Interviews : Upendra – Interview". Telugucinema.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ a b Gopalrao, Griddaluru (12 November 1999). "మనిషి అంతరంగ ప్రతిబింబం - ఉపేంద్ర" [Man's inner reflection: Upendra] (PDF). Zamin Ryot (in Telugu). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2016.
- ^ "Upendra in Telugu". Screen. The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 10 October 1999. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ "Upendra review". Deccan Herald. 24 October 1999. Archived from the original on 28 November 1999. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
- ^ a b Kumar, S. R. Ashok (15 April 2000). "Star-spangled show on cards". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ^ "Commotion at the launch of Uppi2". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013.
- ^ "Uppi 2 Completes 50 Days". Chitraloka.com.
- ^ "JAGGESH IN THILI HAASYA MOOD:Nanu bandudhu Samaja Thidhake". Chitraloka.com. 27 August 2001. Archived from the original on 27 August 2001. Retrieved 3 October 2024.