Uttar review: The film's overly simplistic approach prevents it from making a lasting impact
The mother-son bond is distinct from any other relationship. From nurturing her child to supporting him in adulthood, a mother serves as her son's first teacher, emotional anchor, and guiding light. This bond is built on unconditional love, which is genuine, unwavering, and understanding of any situation or mistake. Kshitij Patwardhan, who has penned scripts for critically acclaimed films like Time Please (2013), Double Seat (2015), and YZ (2016), explores this unique bond and its evolving dynamics in his directorial debut, 'Uttar'.
'Uttar' tells the poignant tale of a gentle, loving mother and her frustrated, short-tempered son, who is deeply engrossed in artificial intelligence and mobile technology. Nanya, also known as Ninad (Abhinay Berde), has a mother Uma (Renuka Shahane) who loves him unconditionally, despite his irritability and inattention. Uma works as a radio host while Ninad, an engineering student, is deeply invested in completing his project on artificial intelligence (AI) for college, which consumes his life. He is perpetually engrossed in his projects, rarely smiles, and often gives brief or no responses. Ninad also shares a close bond with his childhood friend, Kshipra (Rita Durgule).
Following the loss of his father some years ago, Ninad's mother remains his sole support. Interestingly, the same son who frequently avoids his mother gets a brilliant idea for his college project. But he needs his mother's assistance to complete his project. She provides him with the necessary support, but a significant event in her life occurs, altering everything.
Notwithstanding the filmmakers' diligent efforts to explore the mother-son bond in a contemporary setting with a fresh perspective, the film fails to leave a lasting impact due to its overly simplistic approach and oversimplification of the core subject matter, potentially undermining the audience's cinematic experience. The heavy-handed storytelling techniques employed to convey information to the viewer feel forced and unnecessary. Although it is essential to depict the mother and son's disparate perspectives on their relationship, the first hour's repetitive and tedious focus on their individual viewpoints detracts from the narrative. However, the second half unexpectedly assumes a more introspective tone, as Ninad recalls his mother's supportive role in his life.
The film demonstrates technical competence in areas such as cinematography and production design. However, the overreliance on background scores in every scene becomes increasingly irritating. Kshitij Patwardhan could have leveraged silence more effectively as a narrative tool to evoke emotions and highlight the isolation of Ninad and Uma.
Abhinay Berde and Renuka Shahane deliver outstanding performances in portraying the bond between mother and son. Renuka Shahane excels in conveying the turmoil of a mother witnessing her son's emotional drift. Abhinay compensates for the narrative's weaknesses with his understated yet effective performance, particularly in the second half. Hruta, despite limited screen time, does justice to her role.
In conclusion, despite the honest efforts from Kshitij Patwardhan, 'Uttar' fails to leave a lasting impact due to its overly simplistic approach and oversimplification of the core subject matter.
Cast: Abhinay Berde, Renuka Shahane, Hruta Durgule
Writer: Kshitij Patwardhan
Director: Kshitij Patwardhan
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