Ulidavaru Kandanthe (2014) User Reviews

Ulidavaru Kandanthe(As seen by rest) a must watch

[pravi-appu · 9/10 · 28 March 2014]

Ulidavaru Kandanthe movie which had created huge expectations from the trailer, lives up to the expectations.

Highlights of the movie

1 Undoubtedly all the characters steals the show with amazing performance and screen presence. Superb acting.

2 Screen Play, Direction, Background Score, Dialogues, Narration super

3 Huli Kunitha(Tiger Dance) and the song/music for that damn awesome and Rakshit Shetty awesome in the tiger dance.

4 Democracy(Character) dialogues are super and that kid as done really well.

5 Rakshit Shetty at his first direction he as taken the movie really well.

6 Munna(Kishore) and Richi(Rakshit Shetty) steals the show, and we should not forget the others Ratnakka(Tara), Raghu(Rishab Shetty), Balu(Achyuth Kumar), Regina(sheetal Shetty)at their best.

7 Music by Ajaneesh Loknath is cool. Another new talent came to KFI

8 We should not forget the another plus points, Cinematography by karm Chawla and Editing by Sachin.

On the whole Ulidavaru Kandanthe is a must watch for every Kannadiga..

A new Perspective to Kannada Cinema! Slow yet Huanting!

[reachmallya · 7/10 · 28 March 2014]

Will Ulidavaru Kandante..As seen by the rest succeed in offering new perspective in cinema ? The answer is probably "Yes".

In the past we did have scripts and films based from coastal-region but this is probably the first one to have captured attention from the rest of the places in the state and obviously the coast. The trailer and music both went viral getting accolades and now it is time for the full feature to be seen by the rest.

I have to admit that Rakshit Shetty's debut directorial venture transported me to Dakshina Kannada landscapes sitting right in center of Bangalore. The atmosphere lasted for over more than two hours. Rakshit has chosen a script which is well woven starting with the right note to capture your attention right from the first frame. Unlike prominent Kannada Cinema "Ulidavaru Kandante" gives more prominence to the characters. This is out and out a character driven script. There is a story to be told and the story is narrated quite interestingly. Multiple view points have been used in films for decades, its success or failure depends on the art and facility with which it can aid the story being told. Rakshit has grandly succeed in his efforts. In the past we have witnessed "Yuva", "Memento," "Hero," "Irreversible", "Amores Perros" that use various perceptions of facts. What these films all have in common is that the visual device used does not get in the way of the story but enhances it. "Ulidavaru Kandante" too falls in this league.

The film as such is presented in a chapter-wise manner where in each chapter allows you to explore each character visually. There is a reason why these characters exist in the space of the film. There are a few which could have been avoided. The actors have done a commendable job in giving life to the characters. Rakshit, Rishab, Kishore, Achyut in pivotal roles deserve appreciation. I know Achyut is not a native of Dakshina Kannada but the way he has presented himself just shows his strength and versatility. I recently watched few of his offbeat films and watching him in this role was a pleasure. Rakshit's "charisma", Rishab's "fear", Kishore's "feeling", Achyuta's feeling, fear and irritation with "Kaaki" will be remembered. The child actors also have pulled in splendid performance. Poojary, Tara, Sangita, Yagna and folks who have played Rakshit's accomplice have provided great support to the main characters. I believe this film will go down as one of the best acted films. The actors are so natural and casual it does not feel like they are really acting out on the screen.

Karm Chawla's cinematography, Ajaneesh's BG score, sync sound succeeds in providing the much necessary atmospheric experience. The coastal landscapes are brilliantly captured and presented. Having know these places personally it gives you a great feeling to watch them on big screen. The color scheming and VFX does need a special mention. Who would not want to try out the "Sin City" like shot? Wow! The BG score is haunting and goes well with the film. A couple of songs "Paper Paper" and "Gati" seems out of place as far as narrative is concerned. Probably this has more to do with commercial aspects. "Kanna Muchhe", "Kaakig Banna" match with the narrative. Especially the way they have brought in "Kaakig Banna" is simply brilliant. Hats off to Achyut making this a memorable song even though it is in the near end of the film. If you pay attention to the sound design and sound capture you might feel a lot of background noise being captured. Especially during the Tiger painting scene. There is a sudden drop in the sound levels at times. We are in an era where in sync sound is picking up gradually. Its at a very few instances where in the sound capture is kind of average but at a overall level it gives you a phenomenal experience in listening to the speech with the inner expressions. In a way "Ulidavaru Kandante" is technically brilliant film-making.

The film though entertaining and satisfactory comes with few negatives. The first being the run-time. The film starts of with a great pace but gets slow from the second chapter on-wards. If it was a bit tight it would have been more perfect than what it is now. Some audience are bound to get tired. Never mind you cant keep everyone happy. The other factor is the penetration of this film beyond Karnataka. This film is high on the tradition, dialect and lifestyle of the coastal region. It would be interesting to see how this could interest people from other states. Lucia had a great success in this aspect. I wonder if "Ulidavaru Kandante" can achieve this. We will have to wait and watch on how this is received and propagated.

Two things. Be calm and patient while watching this. It is not an edge of seat thriller. Give the film some time to get it on to you. Do not expect a "wow" climax. Just watch the perspectives and bring out your own

Nice meaningful movie!

[kgsrikanth22 · 9/10 · 29 March 2014]

Ulidavaru kandante is very good effort from the Kannada film industry. I must say this movie has captured raw emotions very well in several situations. And i hope movies like these are well received by the Audience and eventually making sure that these kind of experiments continue and do well. This movie also brings the other variations of the kannada language in Karnataka which is awesomely portrayed!

The movie gives more importance to art in itself rather than conventional movies(in any regional language in general) which gives importance to commercial elements.

Lastly , I felt the second half could have been bit faster to improve the entertainment quotient. That said, it doesn't mean its boring. Its just that the movie gives more importance to script!

Overall a great movie! Must watch for people who prefer 'class' than 'mass' movies :D

One small step called Ulidavaru Kandanthe A Gaint Leap for Kannada Film Industry

[jayanthbumaiyya · 10/10 · 30 March 2014]

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.

Truly a Masterpiece.

[deepakblore · 10/10 · 1 April 2014]

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.

Simply Mindblowing!!!

[yaduanna · 10/10 · 29 March 2014]

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.

Rakshit Shetty : Al Pacino of KFI! Brilliant movie!

[Srujana · 10/10 · 31 March 2014]

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

"Ulidavaru Kandanthe" – An artistic masterpiece.

[kaushikskalmady · 10/10 · 9 April 2014]

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.

Different narration style

[raghavendra-ramakrishna · 10/10 · 2 April 2014]

Hats off to Rakshith Shetty for delivering this product. KFI is changing big time over last two years, thanks to the fresh faces, stories, narration, direction. Ulidavaru Kandante (UK) excels in all the departments, the movie is a experience that one should go through and it makes you think which is very important. As someone said "A movie should not haunt you while watching, it should haunt you post watching" and UK falls in that. Acting wise everyone has done justice to the role, of them I like the acting of Thara and Achyuth Kumar the most. Achyuth Kumar is a very fine actor and now people are realizing his potential. I hope to see more movies with Achyuth Kumar with new comers. Overall, the movie is a great experience and I suggest every one who love "cinema" should watch this.

As seen by the rest or as seen by you?

[madhuneethhebbar · 7/10 · 1 April 2014]

Ulidavaru Kandante (As Seen by the Rest), one of the most anticipated movies in Kannada film industry in the year 2014 for me was a brilliant experience. Having waited for this movie for months, I went to the movie as soon as I could after the release. The movie had already created the hype required. However, it was not up to the expectation or maybe I expected more. The screenplay was adapted from Pulp fiction and moulded to make the general audience understand. The screenplay was indeed brilliant and was supported by brilliant performance by most of the pivotal characters, beautiful music and mind-blowing cinematography. However, the story was a bit weak. The title holds up to what is shown in the movie. The dialogues are brilliant but can be enjoyed only by those who know the coastal language. What bothered me was the attention to detail. Rakshit Shetty has tried not to ignore it but has failed to achieve "perfection". All said and done, I would still recommend the movie to everyone as it is worth watching in the cinemas.

A labriynth of perspectives

[suprabhattacharya · 9/10 · 7 June 2021]

Although inspired by iconic films in terms of storytelling,the film doesn't turn into a tribute fest to those films. As the title indicates,the film is divided in chapters,each chapter giving a different perspective to an event which we didn't really get to know till the end(or do we?).

I have rarely seen an Indian film with such lucious cinematography,music and non linear narrative. The film unfolds itself graciously in a circular narrative. The performances are memorable,especially Rakshit Shetty himself(director and writer of the film)as Richi. The character drawing inspirations from famous hollywood film gangstars is not a mere carricature of them .Rakshit Shetty has perfected the role of a violent,carefree enforcer of a gangster with an unrestrained perfection.

There is a macguffin in the film too, a mysterious package(in one scene the buyer of the package is written as Marsellus Wallace). A complete film in terms of everything;style,substance and performances .

Although the film is termed as a neo noir but it's not .In some parts the film is neo noirish but as I already said the film is not successful for the inspirations but for it's originality.

India's Pulp Fiction, not quite, but a good film nonetheless

[AnonymousbutDilpreet002 · 7/10 · 11 May 2020]

Based on the Rashomon effect, Ulidavaru Kandante tells us about an incident which took place in a coastal area of Karnataka, through the eyes of a news writer, whose ultimate source are it's eyewitnesses. Along with the witnesses, she also interviews friends and relatives of those who were involved. Though these people might have different intrepataion of events, some of them might be lying, there might me some loopholes in their stories, but the director shows what actually happened in the last segment.

Though we don't what really was the incident she was covering but it's not hard to come closer to that merely by guessing.

The story is divided in segments which are not in a particular order. The second part with Richie in focus is the best one. But it was too elongated. Rest were not that exciting to watch. There were some unnecessary scenes there, like all the scenes between the reporter and Richie(one of which was important to understand the order of events).The stories were good but I am not sure if making them non-linearly was important.

Ulidavaru Kandanthe does not live upto expectations, but it's a good enjoyable film to watch.

Naanu Kandante!

[SpikemeisterSandeep · 5/10 · 28 March 2014]

This was one of the most anticipated movie of 2014! The trailer was a huge hit & with Rakshit Sir interacting with us in FB n twitter, I was able to understand his view/passion/commitment towards direction so I was waiting like a mad dog for this movie! The theater was full, the environment was great but I've to admit that I was kinda disappointed after the movie! Not saying its bad! Content & technicality wise, Movie is brilliant but because of Kundapura/Mangalore kannada, I was not able to understand 70-80% of the dialogues! I could have managed but throughout the movie it was not a good experience for me because the voices weren't audible enough! I'm not sure if it was the fault of Eshwari theater or the effect of sync sound system but we were not able to hear 60-70% of the dialogues! And it gets worse! There is no subtitles(There was subs for 6-9 dialogues but I see no point in that). So sadly for me, it was like watching a Japanese 'Roshomon' movie without audio & without subs! So the whole dialogue content was dots to me & I had to connect it by myself to understand what the characters said! I was not able to understand the Cuban kid & many other important thoughtful conversations in the movie! So I feel very bad for that! I don't want to completely blame it on M'lore kannada but subtitles should have been there for better & perfect understanding! And I also felt that the movie is dragged! I'm fine with movie being lengthy n slow paced but those scenes should make sense & it should be well connected with the story! So I think 10-15 mins should be chopped off!! Coming to the positive aspects I've to say the movie was brilliant & very very thoughtful! I'm very happy that we are gifted with one more brilliant writer-director Rakshit Shetty! Making is top class! We can see his work in every single frame! Story & screenplay is again too good! I can't say I loved the climax because I was able to predict it from the time when I heard 'Perspectives'in the trailer but it was very well executed! I loved all the characters & also loved the importance given to every single character! From Democracy to Rathnakka I think everyone did maximum justice to their role! The Maphia chase scene(background which looked like Sin City)was amazing, Mother-son scene was touching & Munna closing his eyes, visualising himself with Sharada on the beach, is just beautiful! Cinematography is perfect! Music was top notch! Hands down Ajaneesh Sir! :salute: Well Content & technicality wise it is one of the best movies in recent times! So if I was a critic I would have given 9or10/10! But I was a confused patron who was not able to completely understand the dialogues so I would give 7/10! So my only complaints are Movie length, No subtitles(Subs were there in the trailer, so I thought it would be here too) & the most of the dialogues being in Kundapura/M'lore Kannada! And Rakshit Sir, you are a brilliant maker! Hope u make more of such sensible movies!

Final Verdict - Movie was good n thoughtful but I couldn't enjoy it properly/perfectly!

Quentin Tarantino flavoured...!!!!!

[akrahul · 10/10 · 30 November 2019]

Rakshit Shetty is Quentin Tarantino of Indian cinema The narration style is Hollywood level the direction top notch long way to go shettre .....

One of the greatest indian movies ever made

[gautammayya · 8/10 · 10 April 2020]

Rakshit Shetty, hats off man. This was an effort and a half.. Just when we thought Kannada movie industry was on a decline, this movie as well as Lucia and Thithi,has brought hope.This movie has certainly taken inspiration from acclaimed movies such as Pulp Fiction(Tarantino in general), Scarface and most notably Rashomon. But it is not a ripoff by any means..

This movie is basically about an incident that took place during Janmastami, an Indian festival and a journalist's attempt at figuring out what exactly had happened through many witnesses. Hence the title Ulidavaru Kandanthe which translates to as seen by the rest. This movie is about how people view an incident from different perspectives. There are 5 people who tell everything they know about the incident and the plot is divided into 6 chapters. The thing I have noticed is that as the narrator changes the entire genre of the movie changes. For Democracy it was a romantic movie, for Shankar Poojary and Dinesha it is a crime movie, for Balu it is a thriller and for Shailesha it is a mother son sentiment movie. Great isn't it? And there is a theory about the main five characters compared to the pancha bhoota(Indian mythology) as well which I found fascinating. Even the songs carry a lot of meaning and contributes to the story.

The characters are not that well fleshed out as it is a plot driven movie but the cast do a commendable job especially Rakshit(again) who brings all the swagger in the world to play Richi who provides the much needed entertainment but doesn't deviate from the actual plot. Also Kishore as Munna,Tara as Rathnakka and Achyuta Rao as Balu are outstanding. Also Rakshit's decision to give a glimpse of the culture of coastal Karnataka was a masterstroke as the cinematography was magnificent.

The only thing which I didn't like in the movie is the editing and the love story which proves a little distracting and puts a small scratch on an otherwise flawless masterpiece. I highly recommend each and everyone to watch the best Kannada(maybe Indian) movie of all time!!!

An Immersive Experience

[deepak-manoor · 8/10 · 1 April 2014]

For more than two hours I was soaked in the culture of South Canara . The sea, the riverside, greenery and the folk arts all produce a mesmerizing effect. Some of the newspapers found the movie to be stretched , meandering and a waste of time. What I did conclude after watching "Ulidavaru Kandante" was that they exaggerated the film's weaknesses to a great extent .

The film doesn't sell itself as a thriller . Neither does it promise a mind-blowing climax . All it seeks is, to show a portmanteau of perspectives on an incident during the Krishnashtami season in Udupi. Though the perspectives are not etched very well , they provide interesting insights to life in South Canara during the early 90's . I could relate to the ideas of "running away from home to Bombay / Gulf " , underworld etc because these were some of the social issues that I saw during my years of growing up in Udupi ( the 90's).

The swagger of Rakshit Shetty , the portrayal of despair and hope by Thara , joie de vivre of the children ,the love-struck Kishore and the sheer brilliance of Achyuth Kumar make the movie a treat to watch. The perspectives do overlap, but that's how an incident pans out in real- life. Many of the dialogues are in Kundapura Kannada and a few are in Tulu . This makes the movie very real but audiences could find it hard to understand them . And subtitles were missing in some places . I did love some of the colloquialisms in the movie, "Vali Kaluk " : which means to turn a woman a widow ( Vole : Ornament , Kaliyodu : Remove in Kannada ), Boda Sheera ( Do you want sheera - Kesari Bhath in Tulu , an allusion to Sheera served during the Hindu ceremony of mourning). These gems were lost on the audience without an appropriate explanation of the contaxt. Rakshit delivers his dialogues with a flamboyance that makes them memorable.The cinematography, music and the choreography of the Huli- Vesha are absolutely top class.The cinematic device of using the story of a Cuban boy and the Agneepath protagonist is a nice touch.

I am giving the movie an 8 because it could have been shorter, the perspectives should have been clearer and easy to follow for an ordinary viewer. Ulidavaru Kandante demands a little patience from the cine goer but the movie is a rewarding experience.

Visual Treat

[mddilip · 10/10 · 29 March 2016]

Writing this review after two years from movie release may look little odd, but felt not writing would be a bigger injustice to this well crafted timeless classic.

The simple but brilliant story line, experimental screenplay, dialogues with nativity touch, exceptional cast and refreshing sound track transports the audience to world where this folktale unfolds. The life changing events forever haunts humans and not every one get away with it. The destiny that life turning moments brings is not same for everyone either. One such moment in the lives of two unfortunate kids forms this movie. Director has successfully tried uncovering the emotions that binds various human relationships in every possible shot. The parental love especially mother son duo and the attraction between youngsters are always something the movie industry bets big on from ages. The same formula applied but the result here is exceptionally appealing which stirs the audience emotion for long time.

The movie passes the eligibility test to become epic by weaving many characters with diverse background, age, and social status revolving around one story. Each of those characters adds its own spice and ingredients to make it finally a delicious feast. The folk culture with famous "Yakshagana" and "Hulivesha" are so effectively used and very well tied with the story line. Never wasted them just for dragging the story and there was no disconnection. Using the "Yakshagana Prasanga" in the background to hint audience at the essential plot of a story is very tactful and this sheer intelligence of Director makes one think how promising he is to this industry. Keeping the nativity by using the language of the land and slang throughout brings fresh sea of change and it immensely helped the story to remain grounded to reality.

Technically, the team has achieved new feat with visible hard work behind every scene. The minute details are taken good care which elevates the quality level. Few repeating scenes to cater to show difference of opinions among characters proves that. Camera position changes in those scenes helps audience to sync their thinking with characters. The casting decision is yet anther proof of creativity that envisioned the perfection. The actors went extra mile to achieve that perfection Director sought. Treat to watch every actor suiting so well to the character and apply themselves cent percent. Background music is not just refreshing but also at same brings variety and consistency that relate to actions and consequences. The heart touching lyrics are rendered in melodious tunes. Every song is so refreshing that one cannot skip listening to it again.

Perhaps the movie would make mass appeal after 20 years when Kannada audience is mature enough or learns to appreciate the change. Till then hope to see few more epics from rising Rakshit Shetty. Thanks to Ulidavaru Kandanthe team for this great movie.

A revolution!

[rangarajnaidu · 8/10 · 3 April 2014]

A brilliant venture by a debutant! People often scold Kannada film industry for not producing good films, but this is just wonderful. The cinematography, the style in which the film presents itself(chapter wise), the acting especially of Tara, Rakshith Shetty and the child artists and the music is just GREAT.The Kundapura or mangalore Kannada may seem difficult to understand for some, but it is understandable once in the flow- a very commendable effort!

A revolution in Kannada industry! When only half seats fill in multiplexes for Kannada films, this giving us a FULL seat is just amazing!

Kudos to the film makers! A must watch I think.

Inspired from east and west yet true to the culture

[Jithindurden · 9/10 · 4 December 2017]

Inspired by both west and east, from Tarantino, Scarface and Sin City to Kurosawa Ulidavaru Kandanthe is still close to the culture and people of Karnataka. One of the best attempts at such a filmmaking in India. Breaking stereotypes of an actor and make a haunting hero out of him is not an easy task. Rakshit Shetty shows his genius at filmmaking with all the right components. The supposed Rashomon effect in this film was the only bit that seemed to be forced and the bit of contemplative monologue at the end which is supposed to be a part of an article!!

It doesn't get cooler than that tiger dance...

[loveyourlife · 7/10 · 13 July 2014]

The other reviews have said almost everything that needs to be said about this film. Before seeing this I'd heard comparisons to Pulp Fiction, Agneepath and half a dozen other films but in reality, those comparisons are not really necessary because Ulidavaru Kandante is clearly it's own film. Portmanteau films have been gaining ground in Indian cinema over the last few years but it's still a fairly new format in the Kannada industry. These kind of films are difficult to execute and can easily go wrong which makes this achievement all the more impressive given it's Rakshit Shetty's directorial debut. I found the first 30 minutes patchy but the film recovers quickly and dramatically improves after that. The last 45 minutes really make the film and some of the surreal visual scenes may over time become iconic in Kannada or even independent Indian cinema. Now I've seen it in the cinema, I'm looking forward to re-watching it on DVD and taking in the different vignettes all over again. I'll end by saying that Rakshit Shetty's tiger dance is hands down the coolest scene I've seen in any film from any country in the last few years.

Hats off to the team for the sincere effort but still disappointed at the End

[never_alone-195-846388 · 8/10 · 30 March 2014]

Lets me tell you what I liked about the movie and what I didn't.. Screenplay is excellent.. Music was impressive.. Acting is fabulous by,Especially Rakshit Shetty,kid,Tara. But what I didn't like was it wasn't entertaining felt like it was stretched too long.. Climax was let down as there was no surprise after keeping the suspense for the whole movie.. At least they could have concluded well rather than asking us to make conclusion.. Anyways heartily kudos to the whole team for a creative and honest attempt trying to come with something different.. This movie had all ingredients to be one of the best movie in recent times Just felt like it was done in a hurry towards end to finish the movie.. I gave good eating because such movies should be encouraged but I doubt if it would reach all audience..

Y so serious & not entertaining?

[MuviFan73 · 6/10 · 15 November 2020]

I decided to watch the hindi version. Unfortunately the boredom took over and I skipped a lot, missing a ton of details. The movie felt below average and waste of time.

Some thing was not right and I got to watch a video providing explanation of story on youtube. A new side of movie arose highlighting the title name meaning 'as seen by others'.

I found no connection with Pulp Fiction be it whatsoever.

The hindi version seems a lot edited (maybe because of foreign credits) and slow, missing on necessary content. The tedious plot seems difficult to grasp. Thus I rest my case with said ratings.

Worst movie

[akshayhublikar · 1/10 · 29 March 2014]

There is nothing in this movie..

First few minutes is entertaining but after heroes entry things become worst slowly and worsens more as it goes on. Second half is more terrible than the first.

The movie starts with the entry of the so called villain. Things look interesting as the trailer is superb. Everyone will be awaiting for heroes entry. After heroes entry things become worst, Movie becomes very slow. At the interval i realized that movie is a waste.Thinking that at least second half would be good. But second half is more terrible and finally i was expecting just the movie to end.

So only 2 out of 10

I would have liked it if the movies duration was less than 2 hours.

This is just my opinion. Others mite like it ,but i didn't.

An impressive production from Kannada cinema

[yaldamoghaddami · 9/10 · 17 April 2019]

So let's start by saying that I can't even pronounce the title of this movie, yet I watched it because I can see some great potential in south Indian movies that many other people can't(I don't mean Indians. I'm talking about the world). Kannada industry is the weakest in south but sometimes great movies come out of it and this is one of them. Let's get to the movie. There are many good things here. Acting, direction, music( oh you bloody beautiful thing!). But my favorite thing is the dialogues and ending. At the beginning, I thought oh it's gonna be good. But after a few minutes I kinda changed my mind because in first half, the story drags a bit and it's slow. But the second half is so great and the pacing is fine. Actually I think the first half was a mess because nothing is known yet. Anyway, the ending was so cool and the music made it even more awesome. Oh and Rackshit Shetty seems to be a genius. Not only because if this movie, but also kirik party

You don't know why you've punished and he remembers the revenge

[Insane_Man · 8/10 · 20 November 2020]

Almost a masterpiece and a much stylish one. The first hour is the most boring and one of the most slow-moving, dialogue based story. But the last few minutes will make your day.

The story of Raghu, then Richi, then Munna, mixed in parallel and chronological order.

This type of movie is totally based on editing strength. The editing is just the best of its kind.

The direction is superb.

Acting is superb, especially Richi.

Not a single moment of the unnecessary moment.

Editing at it's best with some slow-moving consumer goods