Undenaama review: Komal and Harish Raj lead adult comedy that isn’t fun

1.5/5

Story: Software engineer Venkatesh’s (Komal) only aim in life is to get married, and thereby get the license to have sex, having been obsessed with the idea of a ‘first night’ since childhood. His attempt to do so though are scuttled when the families of prospective brides are told that Venkatesh is queer. Turns out that the one putting spokes in Venkatesh’s wheel is his own dad, who’s been told by an astrologer that the son’s ‘first night’ will be his last.

Determined to lose his virginity, Venkatesh decides to seek the services of a commercial sex worker, but that leads to a series of unfortunate events that are further complicated because of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Review: Let’s be clear at the onset – KL Rajashekar’s debut directorial Undenaama is an adult comedy focusing on protagonist Venkatesh’s desperation to have sex, even though there is a last-minute attempt to absolve him of all ‘sins’ and portray him as a good human being after all. Considering the number of pandemic babies that were born across the world, it is quite clear that carnal pleasures trumped the fear of dying of Covid-19. So then, what’s wrong in making a film about one man’s attempts to get some action between the sheets? Nothing!

What is wrong is that Kannada filmmakers who venture into the adult comedy genre don’t go the whole hog and then water it down with family sentiments, etc., to get U/A censor certification. I am not a prude and am all for open discussions on matters of sex and educating impressionable minds about what’s right and wrong. And a sex comedy, if handled well, can be an effective tool. Unfortunately, adult comedies in Kannada cinema lack finesse in handling such a subject – the jokes are often crude and revolve around ‘manhood’ and objectifying women. Let Undenaama’s U/A certification not fool you into thinking it could be a good family watch.

The idea of a 10-year-old carrying his childhood fantasy of marriage and first night into adulthood is quite antiquated, as also that if you can’t get married and have sex, your only option thereafter is to pay and get it. Really? Is this the message we want out there? The film also has a standard trope of the next-door sex siren. She’s married, but ready to get kinky with another man as soon as the husband is out of the door. And then, Tabla Nani as the hero’s father, comes up with his version of a chastity belt by ‘biting off’ the button on his son’s trousers and replacing it with a padlock. This is more or less Rajashekar’s idea of an entertainer that he has then liberally sprinkled with ‘knowing glances’ and ‘dialogues’ about Venkatesh’s Rs 2,000 worth condom purchase, leading to more objectification of the woman in this equation. The last twist in the tale is then meant to absolve Venkatesh of all his ‘sins’ and humanize the commercial sex worker. What a sham(e)!

Undenaama revolves around Komal and Harish Raj, as his friend Krishna. Tabla Nani and Apoorva Shri as the parents and Bank Janardhan as the neighbourhood uncle who watches everything from the balcony of his house, have precious little to add to the narrative. Tanisha Kuppanda looks the part of the neighborhood bimbette and gets more screen time than Dhanya Balakrishna, who is supposed to be Komal’s pair.

Verdict: Undenaama would have perhaps worked if it had been made a couple of decades ago. The subject is jaded, as are the actors, making it quite lacklustre. The film dropped on Sun NXT on June 2. Watch it only if you can’t find anything better or actually like this kind of cinema.