UI: An intense cinematic experience due to the eccentricity of its filmmaking language

UI is not an easy film to describe. It is its own beast for most of the runtime. The film is a confident display of Upendra's skills at directing a metaphorical and multi layered script. It essentially tries to highlight the downfalls of world politics with a specific focus on Indian politics' unbreakable bond  with caste and religion. However, instead of directly dealing with the issue at hand with a basic level, Upendra's signature style takes the story into a realm 10 or more notches higher. 

The universe that he creates is a desolate and concentrated display of mankind's exploitation of the world we live in. Set within this universe is this tale of political uprising. The tale is made interesting by the narrative decision taken to highlight how easy it is to manipulate the public into voting by using the aforementioned weapons. All of the aspects from this point are fantastic versions of a true reality that we see on a daily basis. It never tries to make itself into a story of a good or upright man. The only good that we see in this film comes as an opposing force to a horrible protagonist that we're not forced to root for. There are many visual ideas that are executed spectacularly in this film. A particularly long escape sequence from a facility that is used as a representation of a man's inner fight with truth is a part of the narrative that will be hard to forget for ages to come.

The filmmaking on display can be described as nothing short of audacious. There are absurd cuts, complex subtexts and a large number of crappy camera angles in the film. These are all in service of the nature of the film that is willing to make you uncomfortable to make a point that much stronger. The music is also impressively catchy in some song sequences while these songs actually represent something else entirely than that their lyrics indicate. There is also a brilliant screenplay written here that is more in service of the underlying messages rather than the surface level film. Once an audience member is able to catch the rhythm of the things the film is trying to say, it is much more easy to digest the narrative swings it takes. These are all ideas that work to an impressive degree on the big screen. The political game is handled with a very intense emotion and the feeling of a thriller is carried through entirely in the parallel storyline. 

It's hard to have a rational conclusion to the madness that was UI. There are some scenes here that are genuinely unique. Bold cinematic choices that had viewers' jaw drop to the floor. There is one scene in here that breaks all notions and dimensions of filmmaking and delivers a message home in an insanely impressive way. A filmmaker like Upendra is the only person that people would expect to deliver such sequences where the audience is addressed so directly that it sets a high benchmark for films that aspire to do such things in the future. However, none of these audacious and bold decisions are able to hamper the strong feelings that it leaves you with. 

The strongest that one can say about UI is that it is "intensely eccentric". Watching UI is an experience filled with anticipation as to where the movie itself will head in seconds following the onscreen sequence. It is incredibly intense and a lot of it is due to the unpredictable narrative and the structure of the narrative which is eccentric in its own right. These aspects lend to the film itself having a character which gives it a soul that is accessible while also being distinct from any other things we've seen in a long time. The film leaves you with questions that are uncomfortable to answer and leaves you with answers that make you question every single political choice that anyone has made in just the past election year. It shows you how dire things can get by basing politics on biases and has you ask yourself what one could do to change that. The visuals of what happens if the world continues to do such horrible things on the basis of differences are enough to haunt viewers for days. It will have them seeking for answers which aren't easy to find but necessary nonetheless. Upendra's return to the director's chair is an evocative tale and doesn't disappoint fans of the filmmaker. He's picked up the mantle years ago to tell messages that are hard pills to swallow in poignant and affecting manners and UI is yet another film that wins at that.