Veteran filmmaker Sunil Kumar Desai is perhaps the one Kannada filmmaker who is proficient in crafting a thriller that can transform the perspective of how the audience sees reality. He changed the trend of Kannada filmmaking by introducing the genre of crime and psychopathic killers in the 1990s. However, he hasn't tasted much success in the last 15 years.
The trailer of Udgharsha had impressed movie-goers and the film does not disappoint. Rather, it strengthens the belief that Sunil Kumar Desai is surely a master storyteller. With successful suspense thrillers like Nishkarsha, Pratyartha, and Marma in his kitty, Udgharsha is a good addition to the list. The movie keeps the audience on tenterhooks with its fast pace which does not allow us to think twice about what we've just seen.
Aditya (Thakur Anoop Singh) has a plan up his sleeves to propose to his girlfriend (Sai Dhansika) on New Year’s Eve in a party. Things go helter-skelter when the proposal is about to happen and one of the guests at the party spots a corpse (Menon, played by Kishore). In the commotion that follows, Aditya’s girlfriend Rashmi goes missing and now Aditya’s one-point agenda is to find her. Karishma (Tanya Hope), who is Aditya’s friend and also his aide, helps him in his mission.
An edge-of-the-seat thriller, Udgharsha has enough twists and turns to the story. The script translates effectively to the big screen - and although there are a few forgivable glitches, the style of storytelling is riveting, thanks to the non-linear narrative. With cinematography by experts like P Rajan and the late Vishnuvardhan, the visuals look picture perfect in almost every frame.
Although Udgharsha doesn’t have songs, the background score is a critical component in the movie. Veteran music composer Salil Chowdhary’s son Sanjoy Chowdhary has composed the background music, and it goes hand-in-hand with the narration, helping the audience get into the mood of the film.
Action sequences at certain intervals are rather elaborate, but Anoop Singh makes them worthwhile with his presence. Anoop, who impressed the Kannada audience as the villain Devi Shetty in Yajamana, has upped his game with Udgharsha and is definitely here to stay. His debut as a lead actor is sure to open doors of opportunities in Sandalwood. Sai Dhansika as Rashmi and Tanya Hope, who is popularly known as the Basanni girl (owing to her performance in Yajamana), have done justice to their respective oles. Kabeer Duhan Singh as Dharmendra and the other antagonists have done their job ably, too.
With Udgharsha releasing in more than 1,000 screens in four languages, Sunil Kumar Desai and Thakur Anoop Singh are going to be the talk of the town for a few more days. Unlike in the past, Sunil Kumar Desai didn’t talk much about his latest venture to the press before the release. There was a time when the film industry had written him off, as he delivered a series of flops between 2002-16. However, with Udgharsha, he has proved that he cannot be sidelined so easily. If you are keen on watching a good suspense thriller with the perfect trappings, then, Udgharsha should be on your list.
Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither TNM nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.