UI

<p>Set in a , revolves around the conflict between and , where it also explores the after-effects of misusing , and , leading to and ‘s destruction. Upendra conceived the story for in the mid-2000s. This was his eleventh film as a director and first since (2015). The theme and storyline of the film was not revealed by the makers to the media even during the final filming stages of ; they maintained that it was an “entertaining subject yet it tackles a significant global issue.” In an interview to in June 2023, Upendra mentioned that “With UI, I want to build a totally different world visually. It will be ‘ ‘”. A report stated that the film was reportedly made at a budget of 100 . The film got U/A certification on 19 December 2024. The film was launched on 3 June 2022, and the makers revealed the meaning of the title to be the worn on forehead. G. Manoharan’s Lahari Films and K. P. Sreekanth’s Venus Enterrtainers were reported to produce the film. It was also reported that, alongside Kannada, the film would be released in , , and . Actor was reported to be a part of the film’s cast when the film was announced in June 2022. A month later, actress ‘s signing was reported. However, until November 2022, no other members of the cast were officially confirmed by the makers. However, it was speculated that was a part of the cast. ‘s role too was speculated, and was a confirmed a few months later. A May 2023 report revealed that Leone and Nanaiah had been cast, alongside Murali Krishna and , and that would compose the film’s music. Shivakumar, who had previously worked in and , was hired as art director for the film. Deepu S. Kumar served as the film’s editor, and Prajwal as the cinematographer. In June, it was reported that actress Veena Ponnappa, who previously appeared in (2022), was cast. 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 , spanning 10 in area, complemented by extensive set . 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 -Mocobot. He added that of Upendra was made using a setup of more than 200 to create his . It was reportedly the first Asian film to use this technology. Manohar also revealed that an entire sequence was shot using a virtual reality pipeline. Creation technology of , which was previously employed in (2022), was also used in the film. Filming locations included , and . was announced in June 2022. The music is composed by . Filming for 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 process. Dubbing began in late August with Upendra voicing for the film’s Kannada and Telugu versions. A concept poster of the film was released by the makers on 3 June 2022. It featured a horse-like animal and other caricatures. On 2 January 2023, a 32-second footage was released by the makers. 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 . A was released on 18 September, on the occasion of Upendra’s birthday. 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. The teaser concluded with a woman’s voice proclaiming, “This is not ‘ ,’ this is ‘UI’, Use your Intelligence.” A picture with the character of Upendra’s face on that of a horse was used as thumbnail of the teaser. It had four million views on in 24 hours. The music was composed by . 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, coinciding with Christmas in , alongside , , and languages. The satellite rights of the film were acquired by . It was reported that the post-theatrical streaming rights were acquired by , however, the producers have clarified that the streaming rights were yet to be acquired by a streaming company. Shashiprasad SM of rated the film 4/5 and wrote that “Upendra compresses a decade of philosophical musings into , 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 , Upendra masterfully conveys his perspective and then challenges the audience to reflect on their own views.” Sanjay Ponnappa of 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, firmly establishes itself within the distinctive ‘director Upendra’ genre.” Jagadish Angadi of 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.” A. Sharadhaa of rated it 3/5 and wrote, “The plot of 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.” Sridevi S. of 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.” Vivek M. V. of wrote, “The first and the last 15 minutes of 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.” Sunayana Suresh of 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.” Swaroop Kodur of 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.” Subha J Rao of wrote that ” , which came riding a blitzkrieg of promotion, offers a smorgasbord of garish images — the colour is so saturated, it hurts your eyes”. On day 1, the film earned 6.95 crore, day 2, 5.6 crore and day 3, 5.95 crore, with first week collection of 26.3 crore and 10 day collection of 29.45 crore. Though initially it was reported that the movie grossed around ₹37.15 crores to ₹40 crores, the final box office collection was reported to be 47 crores.</p>