While in '36 China Town', he had to share screen space with the likes of Shahid Kapoor and Akshaye Khanna, 'Namastey London', his second release which was directed by Vipul Shah, had Akshay Kumar towering the cast.
He had a parallel role along with Bobby Deol in Suneel Darshan's 'Shakalaka Boom Boom' and was the quintessential hero of the film (considering the fact that Bobby turned out to be the villain of the piece).
However, this was followed by 'One Two Three' and 'Money Hai To Honey Hai', both of which were multi-starrers that released in the year gone by.
Unwilling to sign projects randomly, Upen decided to take it slow and the result is 'Hum Tum Aur Pyaar' which, as per him, has been 'the chosen one' after due consideration.
"Clichéd as it may sound but I have always maintained that I only want to do quality cinema and not go after quantity. If that was not the case, I would have been gone ahead and probably worked in 10 odd films by now. But this isn't what I intend to do in my career. I want to do few films, but good films", says Upen created quite a flurry when he was launched in Subhash Ghai's production '36 China Town'.
As per Upen, the wait has been worth it since he couldn't have found a better film than 'Hum Aap Aur Pyaar' to go solo.
"There are some films that give you positive vibes instantly. 'Hum Aap Aur Pyaar' is one of them. I have done thrillers, dramas and comedies.
However, I wanted to dabble in a hardcore mushy romantic entertainer with a good dose of comedy to it; it was about time after all. 'Hum Aap Aur Pyaar' is one such film. I heard it's script and couldn't stop smiling throughout the narration", says Upen who would be shooting for the film in South Africa.
Produced by Desai Brothers who make their Bollywood beginning with 'Hum Aap Aur Pyaar' and have plans for multiple projects to go on floors in months to come, 'Hum Aap Aur Pyaar' is touted to be a quintessential romantic tale.