Banners: Lahari Films, Venus Entertainers
UI is an ambitious film-within-a-film experiment by filmmaker Upendra.
The narrative begins with a film critic searching for the meaning behind Upendra’s baffling new film. He discovers the original script and, through it, enters the layered world of UI. The story (written by Upendra) revolves around Sathya (Upendra), who dreams of a Utopian society amidst corruption, godmen, and inequality. His alter-ego, Kalki, complicates the duality of existence. While the first half sets up an intriguing socio-political commentary, the second half drifts into heavy philosophy and abstract parallel universes. The climax, unfortunately, leaves much to be desired.
Performances:
Upendra shines in both avatars — Sathya and Kalki — and dominates the screen.
Supporting actors (Reeshma Nanaiah, Sunny Leone, Sadhu Kokila, Jishu Sengupta, Murali Sharma) make little impact, with limited scope.
Guruprasad and Indrajit Lankesh stand out in brief roles.
Technical Aspects:Upendra’s direction leans toward class audiences, alienating the masses. B. Ajaneesh Loknath’s background score is effective though the songs are average. Camerawork by H.C. Venugopal is striking, and the action choreography (Thriller Manju, Ravi Varma, Chethan D’Souza) adds scale. Editing (Vijay Raj B.G.) is sharp, while dubbing quality is commendable.
Verdict: UI is an ambitious, thought-provoking experiment that may appeal to niche viewers but is too abstract and philosophical for the mainstream.
PUBLISHED BY SUYASH PACHAURI, FOUNDER & OWNER, GLOBAL BOLLYWOOD | THE HOLLYWOOD SCOPE