Uu Kodathara Ulikki Padathara: Much Ado About Nothing

Balakrishna would be a relieved man after Uu Kodathara Ulikki Padathara. He is done with the film and it won’t be as embarrassing for him as it was for Nagarjuna for his film with the other Manchu Brother. UKUP is such a wannabe film that it makes every one of it’s cast except Balakrishna look like one. It is like that kind of kid who is eager for a performance after mastering a couple of moves. The moves will be appreciated but that’s all he has got and it soon falls flat.

UKUP is an ambitious film that has got a great ensemble cast, a producer willing to spend the money to make it as grand as it is but the lack of vision and poor execution play the spoilsport. It is amusing to think what it could have been but it is a shame that we have to be content with what it is. And it is cringe worthy to think that it resorts to a misleading promotional campaign to cover up for its ineptness.

When Lakshmi Manchu said that the film is among the lines of Arundhati and Chandramukhi she probably meant a mishmash of both because it is exactly that. The film showers us with a million poorly conceived sequences that by the time the decent last act tries to salvage it, we are no longer interested in what happens to whom. Manoj is all over the place with his antics and inanities substituting for any acting while the supporting cast mostly has underwritten roles that mean little to anyone or themselves. Which brings us to the only saving grace of the film.

Balakrishna.

After Simha, this film utilizes the screen presence of the veteran to the delight of the audiences. His benevolent smile, cheroot smoking grimace and the majestic appearance bring an edginess into an otherwise lackluster tale and are the only things to watch out for in this film. He seems to have enjoyed playing Narasimha Rayudu and hits the perfect note in every emotion. Had the film been half decent as him, his character would have been Rajnikanth-esque in Peda Rayudu.

With all the things going for the film, it is hard to come to terms with the fact that it turned out to be a substandard product. Some more time at the scripting stage would have helped.