Last year, on his birthday, the renowned Kannada actor Upendra, also known as the Real Star, unveiled a teaser for his upcoming directorial project UI, which caused quite a stir in the industry. During a public event at a single-screen theatre in Bengaluru, he released a teaser that contained no visuals. Instead, he featured a voiceover by Upendra discussing the darkness he experienced and how to overcome it.
During that period, the actor-director mentioned that due to the extensive use of CGI in the film, he would reveal visuals only once he was fully content with the final product. Upendra and the rest of the team have remained silent, stating that it addresses a worldwide concern. In January of this year, he unveiled another teaser with some visuals, but there still needs to be more to form a complete picture of what is in store. If the buzz in industry circles is anything to go by, the wait for clarity on UI is short now. Producers KP Srikanth and Upendra have apparently settled on the film’s release date, although an official announcement is still pending. Distributors have been informed about a possible September 12 release, we are told, which will be less than a week ahead of his birthday (September 18). Some fans have been speculating that Upendra could target a September 18 release too, but industry insiders say that would be unlikely, as Shivarajkumar’s Bhairathi Ranagal is releasing on September 27 and there has to be sufficient gap between the two films.
Upendra is back to directing with UI, marking his return since Uppi 2 in 2015. This surrealist action thriller features a talented cast, including Reeshma Nanaiah, Murali Sharma, Nidhi Subbaiah, Sadhu Kokila, Murali Sharma, Veena Ponnappa, and others. The music is composed by Ajaneesh Loknath, with art direction by Shivakumar from KGF fame. Reportedly made on a massive budget of Rs 100 crore, the film was entirely shot on a specially constructed set.
