Upendra conceived the story for UI in the mid-2000s. This was his eleventh film as a director and first since Uppi 2 (2015).[3] The theme and storyline of the film was not revealed by the makers to the media even during the final filming stages of UI; they maintained that it was an "entertaining subject yet it tackles a significant global issue."[4] In an interview to Bangalore Times in June 2023, Upendra mentioned that "With UI, I want to build a totally different world visually. It will be 'surrealistic'".[5] A report stated that the film was reportedly made at a budget of ₹100 crore.[6]
The film got U/A certification on 19 December 2024.
Cast and crew
The film was launched on 3 June 2022, and the makers revealed the meaning of the title UI to be the mark worn on forehead. G. Manoharan's Lahari Films and K. P. Sreekanth's Venus Enterrtainers were reported to produce the film.[7] It was also reported that, alongside Kannada, the film would be released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam. Actor Murali Sharma was reported to be a part of the film's cast when the film was announced in June 2022.[3] A month later, actress Nidhi Subbaiah's signing was reported.[8] However, until November 2022, no other members of the cast were officially confirmed by the makers. However, it was speculated that Sunny Leone was a part of the cast.[9]Reeshma Nanaiah's role too was speculated,[10] and was a confirmed a few months later.
A May 2023 report revealed that Leone and Nanaiah had been cast, alongside Murali Krishna and Indrajit Lankesh, and that B. Ajaneesh Loknath would compose the film's music. Shivakumar, who had previously worked in KGF film series and Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire, was hired as art director for the film.[4] Deepu S. Kumar served as the film's editor,[11] and Prajwal as the cinematographer.[10] In June, it was reported that actress Veena Ponnappa, who previously appeared in Vedha (2022), was cast.[12]
Filming and post-production
A co-producer of the film, Naveen Manohar, who contributed also on the technical front in the film's making, stated that the film features an entire city set, spanning 10 acres in area, complemented by extensive visual effects set extensions. He further elaborated on the visual effects, revealing that the team had created a unique world within the film, comprising over 1,400 VFX shots, and that the film incorporated various cutting-edge technologies, such as VR-Mocobot. He added that 3D scanning of Upendra was made using a setup of more than 200 DSLR cameras to create his CGIdouble.[4] It was reportedly the first Asian film to use this technology.[6] Manohar also revealed that an entire sequence was shot using a virtual reality pipeline.[4] Creation technology of Industrial Light & Magic, which was previously employed in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), was also used in the film.[13][14] Filming locations included Bengaluru, Mysore and Hyderabad.[14]UI was announced in June 2022. The music is composed by B. Ajaneesh Loknath.
Filming for UI completed in early August 2023, with a song sequence left pending to be shot in October that year. It was reported that Upendra also assisted in editing, which would take a month's time, before the dubbing process.[11] Dubbing began in late August with Upendra voicing for the film's Kannada and Telugu versions.[15]
Marketing
A concept poster of the film was released by the makers on 3 June 2022. It featured a horse-like animal and other caricatures.[7] On 2 January 2023, a 32-second BTS footage was released by the makers.[14] On 1 May, another BTS footage of the making with the caption, "It is only through these hard workers and their hard work that we achieve great things" was released, to mark the International Workers' Day.[16] A teaser was released on 18 September, on the occasion of Upendra's birthday.[17]Cinema Express reported that it was "an audio-only teaser... with Upendra's voice shrouded in mystery and darkness, unveiling tantalizing sounds that hint at dripping water, thunderous gunshots, and a skilled man evading danger." The voice poses a question: "How does one escape from it?" before adding that if ones catches a glimpse of light and listens carefully, it imparts the wisdom of composure, concentration and the intricacies of weaponry.[2] The teaser concluded with a woman's voice proclaiming, "This is not 'AI,' this is 'UI', Use your Intelligence."[13] A double exposure picture with the character of Upendra's face on that of a horse was used as thumbnail of the teaser.[13] It had four million views on YouTube in 24 hours.[17]
Aishwarya Rangarajan, Harshika Devanath, Anup Bhandari, B. Ajaneesh Loknath
3:36
Total length:
4:23
Release
Theatrical
It was originally scheduled to be released in October 2024, but was postponed due to post-production delays. The film was theatrically released on 20 December 2024.[1]
Home media
The satellite and digital streaming rights was acquired by Zee Kannada and Sun NXT.
Reception
Critical reception
Shashiprasad SM of Times Now rated the film 4/5 and wrote that "Upendra compresses a decade of philosophical musings into UI, presenting his personal reflections on life. However, how we receive it is up to the viewer—whether to accept it, reject it as nonsense, or find it too complex to grasp. With UI, Upendra masterfully conveys his perspective and then challenges the audience to reflect on their own views."[20] Sanjay Ponnappa of India Today gave it 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "The film creatively uses metaphors to inspire introspection while commenting on socio-political issues. Although the old-school approach to the screenplay and performances might feel outdated to some, the socio-political commentary blended with satire keeps viewers engaged. Overall, UI firmly establishes itself within the distinctive 'director Upendra' genre."[21]
Jagadish Angadi of Deccan Herald rated it 4/5 and wrote, "Upendra employs metaphors to convey his political and social philosophy. Through bold and unapologetic storytelling, he mocks society’s entrenched preferences and beliefs. He presents two potential solutions for the climax, allowing viewers to choose their own climax."[22] A. Sharadhaa of Cinema Express rated it 3/5 and wrote, "The plot of UI is complex, with numerous twists that make it difficult to explain succinctly. The narrative is layered, and while it touches on religion, caste, and corruption, these themes feel underdeveloped and lack the depth they deserve."[23]
Sridevi S. of The Times of India gave it 3/5 stars and wrote, "Upendra's films are so far known for their unique narrative and compelling storytelling, but this film feels more like a lecture than a cinematic experience. The philosophical elements fail to translate into engaging cinema as he tries to preach too many elements. A 2000-year-odd history is crunched into a 2-hour-long film."[24] Vivek M. V. of The Hindu wrote, "The first and the last 15 minutes of UI are the most incredible portions of Kannada cinema in 2024. Apart from the twisted climax, the film is quite easy to comprehend, quashing the talks about the film being a mind-bending drama."[25]
Sunayana Suresh of The South First rated it 3/5 stars and wrote, "The film has some good writing when it comes to dialogues and songs in vintage Upendra style, which makes the theatrical worth it for those who like that aspect. But, the visual effects in certain parts of the film do not sit right and overpower the narrative at times."[26] Swaroop Kodur of The Hollywood Reporter India wrote that "The writer-director makes an impassioned case for countless topics such as human greed, lust, the idea and implications of God, religion, caste, politics and utopia-dystopia. The narrative, however, is devoid of a proper screenplay-led structure to guide all these conversations, leaving it fragmented and murky."[27] Subha J Rao of The News Minute wrote that "UI, which came riding a blitzkrieg of promotion, offers a smorgasbord of garish images — the colour is so saturated, it hurts your eyes".[28]
Box office
On its opening day, the movie was reported to have grossed ₹6.75 crores [29] to ₹8.3 crores.[30] The 5-day gross was reported to be ₹22.95 crores.[31] The movie grossed ₹25.30 crores within 6 days.[32] The first week collection was reported to be ₹26.35 crores.[33] Though there were reports that the movie grossed ₹29.95 crores in 8 days,[34] the collections at the end of second weekend was reported to be ₹29.45 crores.[35][36]
