Upendra | |
---|---|
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 | ₹ 8-10 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.
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 and exposes the hypocrisy of religion and his teaching 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 the 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 the women and to kill herself if Naanu leaves her for either of those two women. He agrees, and Swathi leaves. She rescues the duo from Keerthi's henchmen and in turn, Naanu persuades her to return. She too threatens to kill both women if Naanu leaves her for any of those two, 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 agrees to marry him. While they both are in a jubilant mood, Rathi and Swathi learn of this and reach the harbor where the duo 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 kidnaps all the three women and kills Marimuthu and her 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. Naanu in the past advised Gopala not to 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/I/Self should die and be reborn.
Naanu sees himself in a mirror and feels ashamed of his traits. He curses himself for pursuing all the three 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.
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]
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 |
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]
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]
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 ]
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]
Raveena Tandon is an Indian actress known for her work in Hindi films. She is a recipient of several awards, including a National Film Award, two Filmfare Awards and a Filmfare OTT Award. In 2023, she was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian honour.
Upendra is an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, playback singer, lyricist and politician who worked primarily in Kannada films. He has also worked in a few Telugu films. Upendra was known for his thematic representation of Indian politics and society in his films. In 2017, He joined the political party Karnataka Pragnyavanta Janata Paksha, before quitting the party in 2018 due to internal differences and formed another party named Uttama Prajaakeeya Party (UPP), which was based on the principles of Prajakiya. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Angkor University in 2015.
Apthamitra is a 2004 Indian Kannada-language horror comedy film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Dwarakish. It stars Vishnuvardhan, Soundarya and Ramesh Arvind in the lead roles, while Prema, Dwarakish and Avinash appear in supporting roles. The film is a remake of Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu with some plot changes. The film was released on 27 August 2004 on Varalakshmi festival to positive reviews.
Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule is a 2007 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. The film stars Venkatesh, K. Viswanath and Trisha while Sriram, Kota Srinivasa Rao and Sunil play supporting roles. The music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The film's title is based on a song from Missamma (1955), which is partially featured in this film.
Neravanda Chetticha Prema is an Indian actress known for her work predominantly in Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and a few Tamil language films. She ruled Kannada industry in the 90s and early 2000s and she has appeared in many commercially successful feature films. She was a leading Kannada actress at the turn of the century and has received the Karnataka State Film Award and Filmfare Best Actress awards for her performances in Kannada films. She has featured in Om and Yajamana, which are the two major blockbuster and highest-grossing films of their time in Kannada cinema. After an eight-year hiatus, she returned to films with Upendra Matte Baa in 2017.
Nagarahavu (transl. Cobra) is a 2002 Indian Kannada-language psychological thriller film starring Upendra and Jyothika, directed by S. Murali Mohan. A remake of the 1993 Hindi film Baazigar, it shocked its Karnataka audience with an unexpected violation of the standard Kannada film industry formula, with a morally ambiguous hero. An above-average success at the box office, this was Upendra's second film portraying a negative role after his earlier blockbuster Preethse, a remake of the 1993 Hindi film Darr. In both remakes, Upendra played Shah Rukh Khan's roles. It was Jyothika's debut in Kannada film industry. For his work in the film, Upendra won the Udaya Film Award for Best Male Actor along with Jyothika for her Best Female Actor Award.
Keerthi Reddy is an Indian former actress who appeared primarily in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi language films. Her notable work includes Tholi Prema (1998), Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001) and Arjun (2004). She has received a Filmfare Award for her performance in the film Arjun (2004).
Gurukiran Shetty, known mononymously as Gurukiran, is an Indian music director of the Kannada film industry in India. He started his career as a music director of the Kannada movie A, directed and acted by Upendra. His music for his next movie Upendra further consolidated his position in Kannada movie industry. He is a native of Mangalore and hails from Bunt Family. His mother tongue is Tulu. He has also acted in several movies in supporting character roles and also sung several songs and also composed in Tamil, Telugu and Tulu movies.
Auto Shankar is a 2005 Indian Kannada-language action comedy film starring Upendra, Shilpa Shetty, and Radhika. The film was directed by D. Rajendra Babu and produced by Ramu, of Ramu Enterprises. The films tells about Shankar an autorickshaw driver belonging to a middle-class family who gets into a conflict with Maya, a money-lender. However, tables turn when she loses her property and they fall in love.
A is a 1998 Indian Kannada-language romantic psychological thriller film written and directed by Upendra. It stars Upendra in his acting debut and Chandini in the lead roles. The film revolves around a love story between a film director and an actress which is narrated through multiple flashbacks within flashbacks and reverse screenplay. It also explores about the dark truths like casting couch in the film industry. The soundtrack and background score were handled by Gurukiran in his debut film.
Om, stylized as ॐ, is a 1995 Indian Kannada-language action crime film written and directed by Upendra. The film was produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar under the production company Sri Vajreshwari Combines. The film stars Shiva Rajkumar and Prema with Srishanthi, G. V. Shivanand, Sadhu Kokila in supporting roles with real-life gangsters - Bekkina Kannu Rajendra, Tanveer, Korangu Krishna and Jedaralli Krishnappa - portraying the role of gangsters in a small but important portion of the movie.
Super is a 2010 Indian Kannada-language political drama film written and directed by Upendra. The film was released on 3 December 2010 in its Kannada version, and on 11 March 2011 in its Telugu version, which had a few scenes reshot with Ali and Sadhu Kokila switching roles. This utopian film had a concept of a contrasting futuristic India set in the year 2030, and the contemporary image of India.
Super Star is a 2002 Kannada film written by Upendra and directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar, starring Upendra and Keerthi Reddy. Though initially it was started as a remake of the Hindi film Agnisakshi, the story was modified after the Nepalese royal massacre involving King Dipendra. The movie is noted for having four climaxes which the audience could select according to their mindset. All these climaxes were based on the thought process of the character Sigaev found in Anton Chekhov's 1887 short story An Avenger. As of 2021, this was Keerthi Reddy's only Kannada film. Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar had mentioned in an interview that, although he was credited as the director, he was not given much freedom on the sets and Upendra was the one who took decisions regarding the shoot of the movie. It was dubbed into Telugu as Stupid, which was a lot more successful than the Kannada version.
Gokarna is a 2003 Indian Kannada-language action drama film starring Upendra and Rakshita. The film was directed by Naganna and produced by Upendra's brother Sudheendra Kumar under the banner Anegudda Vinayaka Productions. Music for the film was scored by Gurukiran. It is the second among a series of successful films with the Upendra–Naganna combination. The film also features Madhu Bangarappa, Tennis Krishna, S. Ramesh, Satyajith, Dr. Nagesh, and Indhudhar in supporting roles. The film is a remake of the 1992 Tamil film Annamalai, which was a remake of the 1987 Hindi film Khudgarz, which in turn was based on Jeffrey Archer's 1979 novel Kane and Abel.
Parul Yadav is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Kannada films along with a few Tamil and Malayalam films to her credits, in addition to Hindi language TV shows. Parul turned Producer with the highly awaited simultaneous multiple language remakes of the Kangana Ranaut starrer Queen. In addition to producing she also essays the lead role in Butterfly (Kannada).
Brahma is a 2014 Indian Kannada historical action drama film written and directed by R. Chandru, and produced by Manjunath Babu. The film was dubbed into Telugu. The film stars Upendra playing dual roles though both the roles never appear together onscreen. It also stars Pranitha Subhash and Sara Sharma, while actors Nassar, Rahul Dev, and Shayaji Shinde play other prominent roles. The film spanning four generations, from the 16th to the 21st century features an original soundtrack album by Gurukiran.
Uppi 2 is a 2015 Indian Kannada-language allegorical thriller film written and directed by Upendra, and produced by Priyanka Upendra. It is a sequel to the 1999 cult film Upendra. The film stars an ensemble cast featuring Upendra, Kristina Akheeva, Parul Yadav, Sayaji Shinde, Shobaraj, Satyajit, Bank Janardhan, Vaijanath Biradar and Mimicry Dayanand. The soundtrack and background score were composed by Gurukiran.
Oopiri (transl. Breath) | Thozha (transl. Friend) is a 2016 Indian comedy-drama film directed by Vamshi Paidipally and produced by PVP Cinema. The film was made in the Telugu film industry and shot simultaneously in both Telugu and Tamil. It stars Nagarjuna, Karthi and Tamannaah Bhatia while Prakash Raj, Ali, Vivek, Jayasudha, Kalpana and Tanikella Bharani playing supporting roles. The narrative focuses on the lives of Vikramaditya, a quadriplegic billionaire, and Seenu, his ex-convict caretaker, highlighting their realisation of the importance of life and relationships over money and disability.
V. Nagendra Prasad is a lyricist, composer and director who predominantly works for Kannada cinema. He has written more than 3000 songs, largely for Kannada cinema.
Upendra Matte Baa is a 2017 Indian Kannada-language supernatural drama film directed by N. Arun Lokanath (Loki). The film stars Upendra in dual roles along with Prema and Sruthi Hariharan. The film, a remake of Telugu-language film Soggade Chinni Nayana (2016), was produced by M. S. Sreekanth, M. S. Shashikanth and K. L. Ravindranath under the banner Hayagreeva Enterprises. The film's cinematography was handled by Swamy J. Gowda. The soundtrack and film score were composed by V. Sridhar.