'UI' was released in theatres today. In this section, we are going to review the latest box office release.
Plot:
In a realm where morality is a fading memory, Seena (Ravi Shankar), a purse-snatcher, ascends to power. His ambition is insatiable: to become the Central Samrat, a tyrant who seeks to enslave the downtrodden. Standing in his path is Sathya (Upendra), a benevolent figure, a beacon of hope for the oppressed. But a darker force emerges, a mysterious figure known as Kalki (also played by Upendra). As these three clash and connive (as the case may be), the plot thickens.
Post-Mortem:
'UI' begins with a warning. "If you are intelligent, walk out of the theatre now. If you are a fool, watch the entire movie." Ideally, this warning would have suited this week's other release, 'Bachhala Malli', more. Never mind!
The film is set in a town (or some beautified slum) where the poor are addicted to freebies and the rich are villainized because they worked their way up. The weak have been lulled into complacency by smartphones, a luxury item they willingly bought but now blame the political elite for. The world-building would have been sharp in the hands of an updated filmmaker.
The film has a juicy plot and that's its only merit. The writing is average and the staging is a disaster. The metaphorical presentation of Mother Nature is at the level of a school anniversary skit.
The motives of the male lead are so vague that the chaos he is orchestrating seem to have more rhythm in comparison. The film is a twisted take on the dystopian cinema genre. Subverting the formula is not the crime here. Being proudly reckless and cavalier is. The sadism and/or cynicism of the characters are narrated like harmless jokes. After doing this for two full hours, the film shows its anger at the Indian mindset. The film's treatment itself is the result of this damned mindset. (The delicious irony). In the era of high-concept web series and serious-minded dystopian movies like Prabhas 'Kalki 2898 AD', what this film does is nothing short of blasphemy.
When Upendra's films dial up sentimentality, you don't know whether to laugh or cry. Upendra's Kalki, instead of manifesting cosmic events, is interested in contesting elections. This is quite a potent idea. If developed well, 'UI' could have been a provocative new-age political film instead of remaining stuck with school play-level intelligence.
Upendra has remained unreformed by politics. For the unversed, he has tried to be a political player in Karnataka, only to make a silly, bloated, botched-up, confused "surrealistic" film that reflects the quality of the Indian elite he seems to dislike.
Closing Remarks:
There is a scene in 'UI' where Upendra's character introduces something called the 'Menu Card for the Mind' of the masses. The film is a Cautionary Tale for the Bank Balance of Producers.
