Upendra (film)

Upendra (Kannada: ಉಪೇಂದ್ರ) is a 1999 psychological Kannada film written and directed by Upendra. It starred Upendra, Raveena Tandon, Prema and Damini in the lead roles. The film was a psychological-drama which explored human emotions in a different and a unique way.^[1] The film is a story of a common human being and his 3 emotions, which is metaphorically narrated through the story of the characters played by Upendra and the 3 heroines. The songs of the film were written by Upendra himself and music was composed by Gurukiran.

The movie was dubbed into Telugu with the same title. A Japanese who saw the film in Bangalore was impressed by it as he found it similar to the story of Buddha and got it released in Japan.^[2] Like Upendra's previous film A, "Upendra" also explores how human emotions change along with the circumstances.

Cast

• Upendra
• Raveena Tandon
• Prema (actress)
• Damini

Reception

Critical reception

The film was heavily panned by the critics at the time of its release. The critics, without recognizing the psychological aspect of the film, went on criticizing the film for its high degree of vulgarity. The critics found many ideologies of Upendra to be very sick. In response to the negative controversies created by the critics, 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."^[3] Upendra's style of thinking is often considered to be crazy and weird by the critics. Upendra reacts by saying, "in this world, those who think a little differently are considered to be crazy". However, the negative response from the critics did not affect the film's box office performance.

Box office reception

The film was blockbuster hit both in the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh breaking many records for film openings in Karnataka. It was extremely popular among the audience, and went on to become a huge blockbuster at the box office, just like Upendra's previous record-breaking blockbuster, A. The film's Telugu dubbed version was also a very big hit in Andhra Pradesh. It further strengthened Upendra's stardom. Upendra's unique direction skills were greatly admired by the audience.^[4]

Awards

• Filmfare Award for Best Director (Kannada)-Upendra (1999).
• Filmfare Award for Best Film (Kannada) - Upendra (1999).

Soundtrack

References