A WAR AGAINST AN ENEMY CALLED EGO

It has been said that taming the ego is vital to awaken the soul. Indeed…a tamed ego also softens the heart, and, sharpens the mind.

“ಉಪೇಂದ್ರ” (‘Upendra’) is a 1999 Kannada film that delves on the war against one’s ego. The psychological thriller was a commercial hit; in fact, it has such an ardent fan following that many movie-buffs feel it is a cult classic. The flick also won a bunch of awards.

The movie begins with betala (a hobgoblin-like paranormal being) narrating a tale to Vikramaditya (Arun Govil), a legendary emperor of ancient India, who was known for his wisdom, courage, generosity and patronage of scholars.

The story is about Naanu (Upendra), the roguish, selfish male protagonist, who hates hypocrisy and is honest to a fault. Naanu manages to get into romantic relationships with three women― Rathi (Damini), Swathi (Prema) and Kirthi (Raveena Tandon). All three ladies vie for Naanu’s affections; he is compulsively obsessed about the richest of them all, Kirthi.

Naanu though is unable to sever his ties with the other two equally ravishing beauties. Eventually, he realizes that none of the dalliances had yielded happiness; it dawns upon Naanu that his quest for elusive bliss had become futile. Meanwhile, the three ladies are enraged at being spurned and they vindictively plot to kill Naanu.

At this juncture, the narration stops; the betala rhetorically asks whether Naanu survives the attack. The noble king’s philosophical reply to the enigmatic question is the climax.  

Writer Upendra has conceptualized the core plot brilliantly. His bold direction suffers from being a little too in-your-face; the over-the-top, Kafkaesque dramatization in the screenplay is perhaps deliberate. Yet, a refined― less crass, more finesse― narration would have been welcome for sure.

Gurukiran’s musical compositions are spunky, upbeat. The flick’s scores are foot-tapping good; the chartbusting tracks are popular party and live orchestra numbers. The fierce, feisty screenplay overshadows the technical elements.

Upendra in the lead role is too theatrical as ‘Naanu’; his rough, rustic portrayal is harsh, but unique. Raveena Tandon enhances the oomph-factor of the movie. Prema, Damini and the supporting cast are hackneyed in their marginal, typecast roles.

In a nutshell, the film is about the letting go of ego! The metaphorical delivery of that message is simply REMARKABLE!

I rate this psychological thriller, a philosophical drama of sorts: 7.5 on 10!