'Ujda Chaman' review: They ruined 'Motteya Kathe'

'Ujda Chaman’, the remake of 2017 Kannada blockbuster ‘Ondu Motteya Kathe’, is a bad film on so many levels. Take the lead actor for instance. There are some faces that are made for
certain characters. Raj B Shetty, the director and hero of the original, was so natural in his performance and apt for the role of a bald man struggling to find a bride. Shetty is bald in real and the film feels like a heart-warming biopic.

In ‘Ujda Chaman’, the baldness of Chaman (played by Sunny Singh) is artificial. It’s not hard to tell that a young man with enviable hair was carefully made bald. This is a major
let-down.

Sunny’s miserable acting doesn’t help either. Shetty, helped by crackling dialogues, offered hilarious expressions whereas Sunny’s deadpan face throughout the film is a torturous
experience.

‘Ondu Motteya Kathe’, which shows the struggles of individuals with unconventional looks, especially in the matrimonial world, had its heart in the right place. With soulful music and
subtle yet rib-tickling comedy, it conveyed the message it wanted to.

Unfortunately, ‘Ujda Chaman’ banks on the loud and uninspiring Punjabi music (Bollywood’s favourite addiction) to get laughs. The flat dialogues pull the movie down further.

The light-heartedness of ‘Ondu Motteya Kathe’ was the result of cleverly written supporting characters. The college peon (wonderfully performed by Prakash Tuminadu) was as important as the hero in the original but in ‘Ujda Chaman’, he is just another character with no depth.

Ujda Chaman gets it somewhat right only towards the end but that’s because of the strong story of the original. In a ridiculous scene, Chaman, a Hindi professor, is applauded by his insensitive students when he gives a long talk on accepting individual differences. Sadly, the the film deserves nothing more than this orchestrated applause.