Ulidavaru Kandanthe

This movie just sets the bar for the rest to come. Looking at the trailer I was looking forward to a good movie but this turned out to be a masterpiece. Honestly, you have to be familiar with movies like Pulp Fiction, Inception, Donnie Darko, Requiem for a Dream etc to show liking towards it, as this is not a typical Indian Cinema. Anyway, if you thought 'LUCIA' was cool, Just wait till you watch this!!.

Anyway, coming back to the movie. The story is plain and simple, it revolves around the death of a character and a reporter investigating it, writing down the perspectives of the others involved in the incident. What takes the cake though, is the direction, screenplay, acting and the background score. Simply Flawless!! Didn't expect that sort of direction from a debutant director.Simply amazing!!!. The film is divided into 6 chapters, each from a different point of view, revolving around the same time frame. The movie adds its own style and at the same time preserving the authenticity of the native regions. In ending is left to your interpretation.

Ulidavaru Kandanthe is a path breaking & landmark cinema in Indian Film industry. Hats off to Director Rakshit Shetty for such a brave attempt. The non linear story telling approach, the way coastal Karnataka life is captured, Actors who perfectly fit the incredible characters, World class Camera work and background score, everything is just perfect.

The film has Brilliant naturally shot Cinematography , Music like Tarantino Movies, truly outstanding Background score, Very intelligent Screen play, Amazing acting by most of the actors.

Its like Quentin Tarantino & Martin Scorsese coming together for a Indian movie.

Ulidavaru Kandanthe is not just a movie, it is a mind bending experience.

I've seen people utterly confused and disappointed after the movie (no doubt) with the only tiny consolation in offer being "It was different". I've read reviews in Kannada Newspapers (*Gives Aaron Eckhart's two-face look of Harvey Dent from 'The Dark Knight'*) horrendously regarding the movie as a "waste of time", going to limits so as to say that "the only death that happens in the movie is that of the audience". But I have only one thing to say. Rakshit Shetty – you incredibly talented out of the stars oh-we-needed-this-so-very-badly- marvelous beauty ! I have to admit, at the end of the movie, I sat there on my seat, unwilling to walk out, wanting for more, before the fading lights reluctantly forced me to leave the theatre. Yes Rakshit Shetty, such was the ecstasy of watching MY Udupi come to life, in arguably one of the best movies I have ever watched.

I've never been an avid admirer of Kannada movies, though I always keep an open mind. Since the likes of Lucia, I've always been looking forward to eventful ventures in the industry. And the moment I had seen the trailer, I knew, that "Ulidavaru Kandanthe" was what I was looking for.

I'm not going to give out spoilers, for this is a movie each one ought to savor from his/her own perspectives. I'm going to tell you why "Ulidavaru Kandanthe" is such a masterpiece and why it will go down to be one of my favorite movies of all times (Beating Pulp Fiction).

To begin with, the very first scene. Fishermen Singing their coastal rhymes as they labour on the machinery to fit a huge wooden piece into place, the video being focused on the wood . To me, the most memorable moments in the whole film. For there was a meticulous sync in the video and the audio creating a rhythmic chant, a near-apocalyptic heartbeat, a countdown to the epic journey that was to come. I felt a stroke of genius in that and realised I couldn't just rest back on my seat, for this was to be a movie of detail, and boy was I right! Secondly, Ajaneesh B Lokanath. The last time I kept humming the background score weeks after watching a movie was with "The Good The Bad The Ugly". Not just the songs, the entire movie is as much an enchanting musical experience as it is a magical visual delight.

And then, the performances. Well, Tara, in her tiny role is just brilliant ( sorry, short of words here). Achyuth is absolutely adorable and Richi so elegant and genuine. "Democracy" is cute, entertaining and marvelous at the same time. Everyone does a spectacular job, which is definitely one of the real highs of the movie.

Rakshit Shetty's direction gives Kannada Industry new hope. Clearly, a lot of things have been inspired by Tarantino ( in caps "INSPIRED" not plagiarised), but I can hardly think it could have been bettered. Mixed with some brilliant cinematography, superb camera-work and an indomitable background score, the intricate details and some sheer genius "stuff" like depicting the very same scene from different camera angles, the brilliant scene where tara prepares to cook her sons favourite "Meen Curry" for example, stand out.

And being a resident of this coastal town of Udupi, the very sound of "Malpe" is tantalizing. Having lived here from the day I was born, I couldn't help but admire the artistic mastery with which Rakshit Shetty portrays the cultural heritage of coastal Karnataka, like I said, a visual delight.

But what makes "Ulidavaru Kandanthe" stand out in an industry dominated by item songs and sequences shot in luxurious foreign sites, is the importance the director places in the beauty of simplicity. You don't need a rich and pompous location to shoot a movie, you just need to know that every location is rich and pompous, given you depict it from the right perspectives. The entire movie has a non linear storyline, a confusing and unsure first half, slow mid way, but that allows you to discern the characters better, and I think that's what Rakshit wants you to do, rather than try to solve the mystery, which exists or not, depends on the viewers perspective as well.

All in all, "Ulidavaru Kandanthe" is an affably ineffable tale, a saga, an unforgettable experience, the beginning of a new era, every (Dakshina) Kannadiga's pride. An artistic masterpiece, matched only by its own ingenuity to leave the viewer ascertain his own storyline, his own ending, through his own perspectives. Its a movie you wouldn't want to miss.

Ulidavaru Kandanthe

It is a Bold, intuitive , innovative and extraordinarily simple yet extremely effective machinery which transformed the way a story is told.

It is non linear way of narration , equally justifying each charterer and showing their depth, We all are heroes in our own life and we cannot walk away from our story.... and our story is always the way we want it to be..... often we chose to ignore the facts for the fairy tale, for it comforts us in despair and gives a hope....

This is capitalized in this story telling, where each narrator feels that his perspective is the truth. Even a small material will cause a large shadow when its rightly placed at the right time.A butterfly effect of events which will cause an avalanche of catastrophes...

Plot is very simple, but strongly supported by astonishing script and mesmerizing acting. Last but not the least kudos to the debut directer /writer Rakshit Shetty to pulling an incredible master piece.

That said, this cinema is like summer rain which makes you feel like you are in paradise, the entire movie holds your undivided attention and the music is brilliantly fixed on to the script its very hard to see it as a separate entity.

Movies seems to be inspired by few Hollywood flicks which is not a bad thing when its so elegantly executed.

Chapter 1: As the title says, its "Ulidavaru Kandante". This crime comedy thriller depends on how you see and understand the movie. It's always difficult to direct a movie with non-linear storyline and intertwined plots. But, Rakshit Shetty has done a stunning job with his first venture as a Director! I can sense the influence of Quentin Tarantino, Guy Ritchie and Christopher Nolan on him. It's a really good thing that Rakshit is influenced by such great directors. Chapter 2: Film connects by intersecting story lines(perspectives) of different characters. So, be very attentive in the cinema hall else you'll miss a part of it and you might miss something which has a connection to a different scene.The CGI use in few scenes reminded me of Sin City. Little reference of pop culture is well captured and it plays an important role in the movie. Actually, it was quite brilliant. The best part of the movie is its regional flavour(Mangaluru and TuLu). Chapter 3: Songs and Background score by Ajaneesh Loknath is amazing! Background score is as important as the dialogues in the movie because it sets the mood to the movie. It can give nice contrast to the movie and it is absolutely mind-blowing in this movie. BG score has a strong impact on few characters and it's incredible. Using TuLu words in few dialogues and songs is a really good thing since it exposes the regional aura to the rest of Karnataka. Few directors and music directors in KFI should learn a bit from this movie. Chapter 4: Rakshit is all over the movie and his character is really diabolical(li'l harsh but yes he is). He's the "Al Pacino" of Kannada Film Industry now! Shetre, super neevu! Achyuta Kumar, Sheetal, Kishore, Tara and the entire cast has done a great job. The kid "Democracy" is just fantastic and his dialogue delivery was spectacular! I think that kid has a great future. Final Chapter: To everyone who think the movie is slow, that is because the movie grows with every single scene and that is how it should be. It is definitely not slow. I think the movie meets all the expectations which a good movie should have. People should definitely watch this movie in theaters instead of crying that there are no good movies made in Kannada. Yes, I'm talking about you haters! Specially, few people(kannadigas in my friends list) who'll watch all other language movies in theaters except Kannada movies which they'll download from the internet after the digital print is released. Get your lazy arse up and watch the movie in the theater when its still running! Personally, I feel this movie should appear in the top 250 IMDb movies list. And, its a perfect ten(10/10)! ‪#‎UlidavaruKandante‬