Upendra on Rajinikanth: ‘Dronacharya to my Ekalavya’

Despite the success of Andhra King Taluka in Telugu and the buzz around his upcoming film 45 starring Shivarajkumar and Raj B Shetty, actor Upendra is still basking in the glory of Coolie and his joy at sharing the screen with superstar Rajinikanth remain unabated.

Coolie may have hit the screens in August, but Upendra who played a labour union leader, still relishes the shooting of the film during which he spent quality time with the thespian.

The self-confessed Rajinikanth fan, spoke about his fascination with the star when The Hindu caught up with him at his Banashanakari office in Bengaluru. Relieved that we had watched Coolie, Upendra went on to expound on Rajnikanth’s stellar qualities.

“I never though I would share the screen with Thalaiva; it was a godsend. Never once did he treat me as a co-star, but rather an old friend.”

Actor Upendra
| Photo Credit:
Bhagya Prakash K

This would seem to be more than fan boy fascination. Upendra says he finds Rajinikanth, “inspiring spiritually, philosophically, and as an artist”, going so far as to equate him to Dhronacharya and referring to himself as Ekalavya.

He says, “Rajini Sir had previously expressed interest in working with me after watching my film Super and I didn’t hesitate when the opportunity came my way.”

Upendra says he enjoyed his scenes with Telugu superstar Nagarjuna and Bollywood icon Amir Khan, who were also in Coolie, adding, “Their presence brought a different gravitas to Coolie; they are established actors in their own right.”

ALSO READ: ‘UI’ movie review: Upendra’s political commentary is a one-of-a-kind experience despite its flaws

Donning a different hat

Upendra, who launched the Uttama Prajakiya Party in 2018, obviously did his homework before taking a step into politics. When asked about the frequency of Tamil stars entering politics, he cited Rajinikanth’s withdrawal from the arena. “I think Rajinikanth might have understood what Albert Einstein had said once: ‘Repeating the same thing again and again and expecting a different result is foolishness’. “

However, he did laud Dr Rajkumar and other celebrities such as Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan and others who launched parties successfully.

Up next

With regard to his upcoming film 45 directed by Arjun Janya, Upendra treads cautiously. “All I can say is I am essaying an important role. I liked the storyline and my character, and offered my best. Besides that, Arjuna Janya is a friend and I wanted to support him in his debut venture.”

Actor Upendra
| Photo Credit:
Bhagya Prakash K

“I adore Shivanna who is also in 45; we enjoy a personal and professional relationship that goes back three decades. It is an honour to share the screen with him.”

About his upcoming projects, the actor says, “Our production team is working on a few subjects for my next directorial venture. Bhargava and Next Level are two exciting projects I am involved in currently.”

On the eternal conundrum of comparing acting and directing, he says, “You cannot draw a line between the two. I am comfortable acting in a film that I am directing as it gives me more freedom. However, direction is a far more difficult task compared to acting, as one has to take many issues into consideration, apart from the responsibility of entertaining the audience.”