JOIN US'People should title my film'
He first said Shh... And then A... Now Upendra has decided to say nothing, at least not long as he can and let the gestures talk.
The man whose initial films had trailblazing titles like Shh and A, is setting a new, as yet untitled venture.
The promos merely show a hand with its three fingers gesturing ‘super’. The posters also carries a picture of Upendra. “People can interpret or title the movie in any way they want as ‘super’, ‘zero’, sakkath or even om… it is for the people to title my film,” Upendra told Metrolife.
Upendra may be one of the hottest selling on-screen names of Sandalwood. But he is best known for his directorial ventures and all movies scripted and directed by him remain etched in people's memory forever.
“A movie must touch people’s lives. Nothing is impossible. There can be a different take to very ordinary things in life,” he philosophises and adds, “In acting, you just have to do what the director tells but as a director every shot and every frame is decided by you. They are two different things altogether.”
Upendra roped in real life rowdies in Om. He wanted the ruffians themselves to play the role thus sending out the message that rowdyism must be shunned. His Shh drew a great deal of criticism for its title. His critics wondered what people would understand and that the title itself would shoo people away but contrary to that, the movie was a hit.
“There was a lot of risk involved. As a director one must be willing to take risks and what attracts people first is the title. That has to be catchy and it must arouse a sense of curiosity,” says Upendra.
He says he has been acting for more than 10 years and would now like to set apart some time for direction and to give a form to his ideas. So would that mean Uppi’s
taking a break from acting? “No. I will now get more choosy on the offers coming my way.
I will work on those films that really excite me,” he says.
Upendra is a man of few words but when he talks he makes his point. There’s a great deal of care and thought that encompasses this actor. Something like ‘unconditional love’ makes Upendra brood. “I wonder if unconditional love is ever possible,” he wonders.
Upendra insists that all his directorial ventures must have a soul, a strong message and must entertain people. “These are the essential ingredients for the commercial success of a film. There’s nothing wrong in doing a film that's profitable,” he opines.
He is clear on his spirituality. While he continues to participate and perform poojas, he reasons that there’s a more deeper complicated meaning to spirituality. “The real truth is hard to find. Life is not static, it’s like a full circle where there are pluses and minuses. One has to make an attempt to make the minuses plus and sustain the pluses,” he
reasons.