| Super | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Upendra |
| Produced by | Rockline Venkatesh |
| Written by | Upendra |
| Starring | Upendra Nayantara Sadhu Kokila Tulip Joshi |
| Music by | V. Harikrishna |
| Cinematography | Ashok Kashyap |
| Release date(s) | December 3, 2010 |
| Running time | 135 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada Telugu Tamil |
| Budget | Rs 200 million |
| Box office | Rs 500 million (Kannada and Telugu)[1] |
Super (Kannada: ಸೂಪರ್, Telugu: సూపర్) (originally known only by Vitarka Mudrā hand symbol) is a 2010 Indian multilingual film written and directed by Upendra.[2] The film was released on 3 December 2010 in its Kannada version; and on 11 March 2011 in its Telugu version[3] while the Tamil version is due in coming weeks.[4] This utopian film garnered extraordinary reception from critics and the general public for its revolutionary concept of a contrasting futuristic India set in the year 2030, and the contemporary image of India.[5]
Upendra's return to direction after 10 years turned out to be a crowdpuller through out Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. With the title of the film depicted only by a symbol, it features Upendra and Nayantara in lead roles and is produced by Rockline Venkatesh, while V. Harikrishna has scored the music.[6] Raking in more than Rs 100 million through satellite television and audio rights even before release, it was declared a superhit in Kannada where it grossed a record Rs 25 million in first three days of the opening weekend. The film grossed over Rs 50 crores and has been declared one of the biggest blockbusters of Sandalwood.[7][8]
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Upendra returned to direction after a sabbatical of nearly ten years, which had set high expectations. The nameless film was originally represented only by the hand symbol (seen in posters) and Upendra wanted the audience to name the film. The hand symbol could mean zero, or three or the Om symbol or Vitarka Mudrā (an ancient Buddhist gesture), but media stuck to calling it Super.[9]
Shooting began on 18 Feb 2010 at the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium with planned schedule for 90 days which included various locations in Bengaluru, Dubai and London.[10] It was produced by Rockline Venkatesh under the banner Rockline Productions, which is its 25th venture. The film saw the debut of Tamil-Malayalam actress Nayantara in Kannada films. Being a multilingual film, several artists from Telugu and Tamil film industries like Ali, Kadal Dandapani, Jeeva are also featured.[11]
Prior to release, much information about the film was kept under wraps which only fueled the curiosity of Upendra's fans. During promotion of the film at an interview on a Radio station, Upendra expressed his disappointment being labeled as a "different director" and explained that most of his directorial ventures deal with the things that he had undergone in his real life.[12] When asked about the ten-year break, Upendra said he thought he would work on his acting career, but then it sucked him in like a vacuum which he could not get out of. After reaching a point where he was afraid he had lost his ability to direct films, he had to fight his fear and that is when he started working on the script of Super.[13]
A symbol being the title of the film, it is replete with symbolism in every frame. Right from the part where title sequence is displayed, Super showcases the creativity of its maker, Upendra.[17] For instance, the credit for direction just shows "U" with an index finger pointing towards the audience—which could be interpreted as the film, in this case, the story of India, is directed by its people. This story of India is narrated metaphorically through the story of Indira, the female lead.[18]
Super depicts a Utopian India in the year 2030 where Indians are pictured to be wealthy, hard-working, and are seen wearing traditional clothing consisting of Ilkal saree and panche. In contrast, westerners are the ones taking care of menial jobs like taxi driving, janitorial, etc. It is a future where the rupee is valued 70 times the British pound and people who cannot speak Kannada are considered illiterates (and westerners are visibly apologetic about the same).[19] From this setting, the film regresses back to the current year 2010 where India is beset with problems of corruption, red-tapism, pollution and unemployment. Political satire is played out by using sounds of horses and donkeys when ministers appear on screen, which represents the political horse trading witnessed in recent times in the state of Karnataka.[20] Scenes of raping Indira and the auctioning process of an entire Indian state are interspersed to draw a parallel between the two.[21] The film finds a climax back in 2030 where a foreigner asks an Indian as to who was responsible for all the good changes in India, and the film ends abruptly again with the index finger pointing at the audience, symbolizing that it's the people who are ultimately responsible for the course of a nation.
Super has been made in three languages (Kannada, Telugu & Tamil), but the Kannada version was released first. Producer Rockline Venkatesh announced that there is no difference and story remains same in all the three versions. Tamil and Telugu versions are released few weeks after the release of Kannada version.[22] Fearing piracy, the production team has postponed the international release as there are chances of film getting leaked on the Internet during overseas release.[23] It was also screened at the fourth Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFF) in December 2011 as part of the 'political satire' category.[24]
In Karnataka, the Kannada version was released at over 180 theaters on 3 December 2010.[25] The film reported record earnings all over the state of Karnataka,[26] especially in multiplexes, where record collection has been reported.[27] It celebrated 100 days run at over 30 centres and was one of the biggest grossers in 2010 for Kannada film industry, along with Jackie.[28] The film saw a special screening in Infosys at its Mysore campus where thousands of employees, which included non-Kannadigas, watched the film and enjoyed its innovative presentation and its inherent message about corruption making an impact in erasing the benefits of the country's developmental activities.[29] Tamil film personality Rajinikanth who watched the Kannada film in January was so impressed by the film that he expressed desire to act in an Upendra film if a good script was offered.[30]
Kannada version of Super was released in the USA by Upendra's close friend Shivamurthy.[31] The film was screened in USA's Chicago and Edison, New Jersey. It was scheduled for two shows in the town of Matthews, North Carolina on 23 and 24 of Apr at Cinemark Theatres.[32] In the city of Garland, Texas, it is being screened in Aug 2011.[33]
The film is being released in late-August, 2011 by a well known Kannada film distributor in Australia, Arunroopesh. It will be screened in all the Australian main cities Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane & Perth. Even though the movie is released after 9 months of its initial release in India, Australia is expecting more people in the theaters on the release day. Melbourne release day and timings are: Sunday, 28 August 2011 at 11:30, 2:30 & 5:30. Venue being: Union Cinema (Monash University Campus), Wellington Road, Clayton.
After receiving good response for the audio track, Super was released in Andhra Pradesh in its Telugu version on Mar 11, 2011.[34] Screening at more than 95 theaters across the state,[35] Upendra was quite happy about receiving extraordinary reviews from Telugu and English daily newspapers and websites. It has received a widespread appreciation from newspapers like Eenadu and Vaartha which described Super as 'Upendra's best creative attempt' and is reported to be doing well in Andhra Pradesh. Reviews in the websites have also been quite positive about the film. According to Upendra, the film's good reviews boosted the collections and that the film as a whole has been appreciated and the fresh concept of the story has been widely discussed in media. The distributors have been quite happy about the response received throughout Andhra Pradesh.[36]
Upendra's directorial venture after a hiatus of 10 years proved to be a crowd-puller in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru where Upendra's followers arranged a rally distributing sweets to the filmgoers on the first day. Fans who could not get hold of tickets reported black tickets being sold at exorbitant rates. Those who do not completely understand the film the first time (because of the intricate screenplay containing flashbacks within flashbacks) are expected to return to the film for second viewing.[37]
Critically, the film was widely well-received in its Kannada version with the Times of India rating it 4/5 stars and describing that the film "succeeds in keeping the audience entertained with witty dialogs, neat script and lively narration, along with Upendra's antics, and, at times, his strange make-up."[38] Deccan Herald termed the film as "something extraordinary" and praised Upendra's grand return to direction "by confusing and exciting the audience right from the movie’s inception, with a hotchpotch of his trademark films and roles" while downplaying the characterization of heroines.[39]
Sify called it a "revolutionary concept" in story-telling which "will make people ponder over the contemporary events and see how the country is plundered by the greedy politicians and corporate community."[40] DNA India also rated it 4/5 stars with a consensus that "Upendra still has all it takes to churn movies that are 'his style,' but contemporary in nature and he puts forth a message through this film as well, as he ruthlessly mocks the current political scenario."[41] Other reviewers have largely appreciated the multifaceted film for its technicality, complex script dished out in an out-of-the-box narratorial technique while keeping the commercial aspect intact.[42][43] Performances of all artists, especially Upendra's, has been another highlighted feature of the film.[44]
| Super | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by V. Harikrishna | |
| Released | 19 November 2010 |
| Genre | Film soundtrack |
| Label | Akash Audio |
The Super soundtrack album rights was acquired by Madhu Bangarappa of Akash Audio for a record price of 12.5 million.[45] Composed by V Harikrishna, the album has five songs and Upendra has penned lyrics for three and remaining two have been written by Yograj Bhat and V Manohar. At a grand event, it was officially released on 19 Nov at Leela Palace by Puneet Rajkumar and Raghavendra Rajkumar of recent Kannada blockbuster Jackie fame.[46]
Pirated copies of the album were available online within hours after the release, and a team was formed by the production unit to fight audio piracy. This resulted in some Kannada music websites being brought down permanently.[47][48]
| # | Song | Singer(s) | Lyricist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaayi Kaayi Uppinakaayi | Kunal Ganjawala | Upendra |
| 2 | Sikkapatte Ishtapatte | Upendra | Yograj Bhat |
| 3 | Come on Come on | Rahul Nambiar | V. Manohar |
| 4 | Yeri Mele Yeri | SPB, Shamitha Malnad, Upendra | Upendra |
| 5 | Look at the Style | Naveen Madhav | Upendra |