'I make movies for myself'

With most film-makers in awe of making remakes, Upendra has always dared to think different and strike a chord with the audience with his directorial ventures. Be it with the titles, posters or the way he presents his films, Uppi as he is popularly called, has created a stir every time he announces a directorial venture.

On his 45th birthday, the actor-director launched his new project Uppi 2. For the first shot, the camera focussed on the audience who had come for the launch. The publicity line for the film, which says Andu Uppi - Nanu, Indu Uppi 2 - Neenu (‘Back then, Uppi was me, today, Uppi 2 is you’), has fans puzzled about the movie. “People may say that I do these things for the sake of publicity but that’s not true. My aim is to entertain people and I want to do it in a different way each time,” says Upendra.

Said to be the sequel to his film Upendra, the first look has the actor sporting long locks, wearing sunglasses and  with a tattoo on his forehead that reads ‘Unknown’. “I like to give people something to think about, which is why my posters are made to raise curiosity. It should leave them guessing about the content of the film,” says Upendra.

Without revealing too much about the storyline, the actor says the film will reveal more about his character from Upendra. “Where this character goes and what happens to him after the climax, is what we will explore in this film. It’s about looking within for answers and what happens to a person when he leaves all worldly things aside,” says Upendra.

The movie is also packed with a lot of philosophies which the actor-director follows. “One can see a lot of me and the human nature in general in this film. I will leave the audience to interpret the movie. My philosophies and quest for answers to life will be reflected in this film. But I will do that with loads of commercial elements thrown in,” he adds.

After his last directorial venture ‘Super’, one wonders if Uppi ever gets tired of the hype or the expectations that his movies create. “I don’t really make movies for anyone. I make movies for myself, to give my creativity a form. And I am happy that people have appreciated it so far as I feed off their love and appreciation,” he adds. 

This is also his first film made under the banner of Upendra Productions. Upendra has handled the story, screenplay, dialogues and direction. His wife, Priyanka is the producer. “Whether it is doing a film with another producer or my own production, my priority is direction. I have always made decisions and whether a film works or fails, I know it will be my own and nobody else’s,” he sums up.