Udayananu Tharam

Last updated

Udayananu Tharam
Udayananu Tharam.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed by Rosshan Andrrews
Screenplay by Sreenivasan
Story by Sreenivasan
Rosshan Andrrews
Produced byC. Karunakaran
Starring Mohanlal
Sreenivasan
Mukesh
Meena
Jagathy Sreekumar
Cinematography S. Kumar
Edited by Ranjan Abraham
Music by Deepak Dev
Ouseppachan (Score)
Production
company
Perfect Group
Distributed byCarlton Films
Release date
  • 21 January 2005 (2005-01-21)(Kerala)
Running time
162 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
Budget₹2.35 crore [1]
Box officeest. ₹6.69 crore [1]

Udayananu Tharam (transl. Udayan is the star) is a 2005 Indian Malayalam-language black comedy satire film directed by Rosshan Andrrews and written by Sreenivasan based on a story he had co-written with the director. The film stars Mohanlal, Sreenivasan, Mukesh, Jagathy Sreekumar and Meena. The songs featured in the film was composed by Deepak Dev, while Ouseppachan provided the background score. Udayananu Tharam presents the Malayalam film industry through a satirical viewpoint. [2] [3]

Contents

The financial and artistic crisis which plagued the once glittering Malayalam film industry at the turn of the 21st century lies at the center of the story. It depicts the struggles of Udayabhanu (Mohanlal), who is an assistant director and who aspires to be a director. But he is thwarted in his attempts by a scheming friend and junior artist, Rajappan Thengamoodu (Sreenivasan), who steals his screenplay to become superstar Saroj Kumar.

The film made the biggest ever opening until then in the history of Malayalam cinema. The film won two Kerala State Film Awards, for Best Debut Director and for Best Choreography. [4] It is inspired by the 1999 movie Bowfinger . [5] It was remade into Tamil cinema as Velli Thirai in 2008 and into Bollywood as Shortkut in 2009.

Plot

Udayabhanu is a hardcore worshipper of films and a talented assistant director, who learns to write and direct his own film at a time when the industry is filled with dubious filmmakers. Rajappan Thengummoodu is a rather crooked friend of Udayabhanu and an aspiring and failed actor.

Udayabhanu finally prepares to shoot his first film based on his own script, he discovers to his horror that Rajappan has stolen his manuscript, and filming is underway with Rajappan playing the leading role, which eventually propels him to stardom. Udhayabhanu soon finds himself faced with a career and personal crisis, with his faltering relations with his actress wife Madhumati contributing to the latter. She leaves the house later after Udayan causes chaos in the house after getting drunk, saying that he lost everything.

Later, with the help of producer Babykuttan, Udayabanu prepares to direct another film, but he is forced to cast Rajappan as the hero since he was the star with most market value at that time. Rajappan takes up the offer, since he is also at a plateau of his career, but refuses to co-operate and throws tantrums and causes maximum trouble when possible. He spends most of his time actively flirting with the actresses in the film.

Towards the end of the shoot, using a perceived insult as a ruse, Rajappan leaves the set leaving the film half way with the hope that this will destroy Udayabanu's career for ever. But Udayabanu devises clever tactics and shoots the remaining scenes with Rajappan without him even being aware of it.

At the end, the film is a critical and box office success, which also saves Rajappan from his damaging career, Rajappan realises his mistakes, admits publicly that Udayabanu is the real star and not himself and apologises to Udayabhanu.

Cast

Production

The film was the directorial debut of Rosshan Andrrews who started as an assistant director in Malayalam cinema. He changed his name from Roshan Andrews to Rosshan Andrrews as per numerology before the film's release. The film's story was conceived by Andrrews, who prepared the story three years back but producers were not willing to take the film as they thought a film based on film industry would not work. He also approached Jayaram for the film, but he also rejected it as he was a new director. He then narrated the story to Sreenivasan who developed it into a screenplay, which took two years, and introduced him to C. Karunakaran who agreed to produce the film. Sreenivasan also helped him to cast Mohanlal in the lead role. [6]

Soundtrack

All lyrics are written by Kaithapram Damodaran; all music is composed by Deepak Dev.

No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Parayaathe" K. J. Yesudas, K. S. Chithra  
2."Karale Karalinte" Vineeth Sreenivasan, Rimi Tomy  
3."Penne En Penne" Afsal, Pop Shalini  
4."Parayaathe" Karthik  
5."Penne En Penne" (My Girl - Remix)Afsal 
6."Udayananu Tharam" Ranjith Govind, Deepak Dev 

Home media

The satellite rights for Udayananu Tharam was sold to Asianet for a hitherto record sum of ₹36 lakhs. AP International released the film on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. [7]

Reception

Critical response

Sreenivasan received critical acclaim for his performance as Saroj Kumar and his refreshing script. shriinivaas[?] srrrreej ssoo.jpg
Sreenivasan received critical acclaim for his performance as Saroj Kumar and his refreshing script.

Writing for The Hindu , Sreedhar Pillai wrote, "Udayananu Tharam, directed by debutant Rosshan Andrrews, asserts that the creator is a path-breaking director. After many years of prattle about `new' cinema within the commercial format, Udayananu Tharam gives some substance to the contention that Malayalam cinema has come of age. The most refreshing thing is that it is a genre film, a black comedy, rather than omnibus masala concoctions serving all the nine rasas. [6] Paresh C. Palicha of Now Running gave the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote, ""Sreenivasan has peppered the story with real life incidents. He does not spare the two reigning superstars of Malayalam cinema, Mammootty and Mohanlal, even though the latter is the film's hero." He also praised Sreenivasan's performance writing, "Mohanlal gives a restrained and dependable performance as Udayan. But it is Sreenivasan who steals the thunder with his over-the-top act as the megalomaniac superstar." [8] Sify , in their review gave the film a verdict of "Excellent" and praised the film for its refreshing script, writing, "Writer Sreenivasan and director Rosshan traces Udayan’s dreams and progresses in a realistic manner. The wry passages and the swipes at the superstars are gingerly executed." [9]

The reviewer for Webindia called the film "a definite entertainer" and praised the film's script, writing, "Sreenivasan writes about real life incidents that happen in the film industry and presents them in a humorous manner. He makes a dig at everyone, not even leaving the superstars. The director has handled the script well. But somewhere something is amiss in the narrative especially in the first half." They also praise Sreenivasan's performance writing, "It is Sreenivasan who steals the show as the dimwit obnoxious superstar Saroj Kumar." [10] Varnachithram, praising Mohanlal's performance wrote, "He performs his role with great subtlety and makes us feel the pain of the character." They conclude writing, "Even with all the drawbacks we mentioned, it was a good movie to watch with the minimum standard we expect from Malayalam movies. But it is not a classic along the lines of Nadodikaatu (1987) or Sanmasullavarku Samadhanam (1986) which we like to watch over and over again. Finally, the movie should have been called Sreeniyanu Tharam (Sreeni is the star) for he was the real star of this movie. [11]

Box office

It was made on a budget of ₹2.35 crore, including prints and publicity. [1] The film was a major commercial success and a blockbuster. [12] It took the biggest ever opening for a Malayalam film until then, surpassing Narasimham (2000). [13] It grossed ₹3.12 crore (US$390,000) in two weeks from 41 screens in Kerala, with a distributor share of ₹1.38 crore (US$170,000). [6] The film grossed ₹19,80,000 in 17 days at Ernakulam Shenoys theatre, which was a record. [6] The film then grossed Rs 6.69 Crore from 41 screens in 35 days and a distributor’s share of ₹2.76 Crore. [1] The film managed to recover its budget from the releasing stations. [1] It ran for 100 days in several cities such as Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Thrissur. [1] The film also performed well in cities outside Kerala, like Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai. [1] It was the first hit of the year. [12]

Accolades

AwardCategoryNominee(s)Result
Kerala State Film Awards Best Debut Director Rosshan Andrrews Won
Best Choreographer Brinda Won
Asianet Film Awards Best Actor Mohanlal Won
Best Script Writer Sreenivasan Won
Best Cinematographer S. Kumar Won

Spin-off

A spin-off titled Padmasree Bharat Dr. Saroj Kumar directed by Sajin Raaghavan was released in 2012. Sreenivasan reprises the role of Saroj Kumar from the original. The director announced that this is not a sequel. Only some characters from Udayananu Tharam were used. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malayalam cinema</span> Malayalam-language filmmaking industry of India

Malayalam cinema, is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, Elippathayam won the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival, and Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982 by the British Film Institute. Rajiv Anchal's Guru (1997), Salim Ahamed's Adaminte Makan Abu (2011) and Lijo Jose Pellissery's Jallikkattu (2019) were Malayalam films sent by India as its official entries for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohanlal</span> Indian actor and producer

Mohanlal Viswanathan, known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada-language films. Mohanlal has a prolific career spanning over four decades, during which he has acted in more than 400 films. Mohanlal's contributions to the Malayalam cinema have been praised by his contemporaries in the Indian film industry. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 2001, and Padma Bhushan in 2019, India's fourth and third highest civilian honours, for his contributions to Indian cinema. In 2009, he became the first actor in India to be awarded the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army. Mohanlal was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by CNN-News18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mammootty</span> Indian actor and film producer

Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail, known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (/mɐmːuːʈːi/), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English-language productions. In a career spanning five decades, he has acted in over 400 films. He is the recipient of several accolades, including three National Film Awards, seven Kerala State Film Awards, and thirteen Filmfare Awards South. For his contribution to film, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 1998. In 2022, he was honoured with Kerala Prabha Award, the second-highest honour given by the Government of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priyadarshan</span> Indian filmmaker

Priyadarshan is an Indian film director and screenwriter who predominantly works in Malayalam and Hindi cinema. He was one of the first directors in India to introduce rich color grading, clear sound and quality dubbing through his early Malayalam films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sreenivasan</span> Indian film actor, screenwriter, and director (born 1956)

Sreenivasan is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, dubbing artist and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. Sreenivasan has starred in over 225 films. Sreenivasan wrote the screenplays of films such as Odaruthammava Aalariyam (1984), Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986), Gandhinagar 2nd Street (1986), Nadodikkattu (1987), Pattanapravesham (1988), Varavelpu (1989), Thalayanamanthram (1990), Sandesam (1991), Midhunam (1993), Mazhayethum Munpe (1995), Azhakiya Ravanan (1996), Oru Maravathoor Kanavu (1998), Udayananu Tharam (2005), Katha Parayumpol (2007), and Njan Prakashan (2018) among which the latter is one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time. He has won two Kerala State Film Awards for Best Screenplay, for Sandesam and Mazhayethum Munpe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mukesh (actor)</span> Indian actor, producer, and politician

Mukesh Madhavan, known mononymously as Mukesh, is an Indian actor, film producer, television presenter, and politician who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil-language films. In a film career spanning four decades, he has acted in over 260 Malayalam films. His 1996 film Kaanaakkinaavu premiered at the IFFI and won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. He co-produced Kadha Parayumbol (2007), which won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. He also produced the 2012 film Thattathin Marayathu, which is considered one of the defining films of the Malayalam New Wave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prithviraj Sukumaran</span> Indian actor, film director and producer (born 1982)

Prithviraj Sukumaran is an Indian actor, director, producer and playback singer primarily working in Malayalam cinema. He has also done Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. He acted in more than 100 films in a variety of roles and has received several awards including a National Film Award, three Kerala State Film Awards, a Tamil Nadu State Film Award and a Filmfare Awards South.

<i>Velli Thirai</i> 2008 Indian film

Velli Thirai is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language satirical drama film directed by debutant Viji, the dialogue writer for Radha Mohan's films, and produced by Prakash Raj. It is a remake of the 2005 Malayalam film Udayananu Tharam. The film stars Prithviraj and Gopika, along with Prakash Raj in a prominent role.

Rosshan Andrrews is an Indian film director who mainly works in Malayalam cinema.

<i>Katha Parayumpol</i> 2007 Indian film

Katha Parayumpol is a 2007 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film directed by M. Mohanan, written by Sreenivasan, and co-produced by Sreenivasan and Mukesh. It stars Sreenivasan, Meena and Mammootty. The film was a commercial success.

<i>Evidam Swargamanu</i> 2009 Indian film

Ividam Swargamanu is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language family drama thriller film directed by Rosshan Andrrews and written by James Albert. It was produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the company Aashirvad Cinemas. The film stars Mohanlal, Lalu Alex, Thilakan, Sreenivasan, Shankar and Lakshmi Rai. The music was composed by Gopi Sunder. It tells the story of Mathews, a farmer who has to fight the real estate mafia over selling his farmland which he refuses to give away.

<i>Oru Naal Varum</i> 2010 Indian film

Oru Naal Varum is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language satirical film directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar, written by Sreenivasan, and produced by Maniyanpilla Raju. It stars Mohanlal and Sameera Reddy in her Malayalam debut, with Sreenivasan, Devayani, Nazriya Nazim and Esther Anil in supporting roles. The film's soundtrack was composed by M. G. Sreekumar. Oru Naal Varum was released on 9 July 2010. The plot deals with corruption in India.

<i>Malarvaadi Arts Club</i> 2010 Indian film

Malarvadi Arts Club is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language musical comedy film written and directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan in his directorial debut, produced by actor Dileep. In the film, Five friends take the responsibility of reviving their favourite hang-out as they are unhappy with its functioning. However, they end up facing various problems while trying to keep the club alive.

<i>Casanovva</i> 2012 Indian film

Casanovva is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language romantic action thriller film directed by Rosshan Andrrews and written by Bobby & Sanjay. It was produced by Roy C. J. of Confident Group in association with Aashirvad Cinemas. It stars Mohanlal, Shriya Saran, Raai Laxmi, Roma Asrani, Sanjjanaa Galrani, Vikramjeet Virk, Abhishek Vinod, Arjun Nandhakumar, Shahid Shamzy, Jagathi Sreekumar, Lalu Alex, Riyaz Khan and Shankar Panicker. The film features original soundtrack composed by Gopi Sundar, Alphons Joseph, and Gowry Lekshmi, and a film score composed by Sundar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nivin Pauly</span> Indian actor, producer (born 1984)

Nivin Pauly is an Indian actor and producer who works predominantly in Malayalam films. He is a recipient of several awards including two Kerala State Film Awards and three Filmfare South awards. Nivin auditioned for and was cast in one of the main roles in Vineeth Sreenivasan's directorial debut Malarvaadi Arts Club in 2009, which was produced by actor Dileep. Nivin got his breakthrough with his lead role in the romantic film Thattathin Marayathu (2012), which was also directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan.

Bobby and Sanjay are an Indian screenwriter duo working in Malayalam cinema. They are the sons of the actor Prem Prakash.

<i>Padmasree Bharat Dr. Saroj Kumar</i> 2012 Indian film

Padmasree Bharat Dr. Saroj Kumar is a 2012 Indian Malayalam language spoof comedy film .The movie was directed by Sajin Raaghavan in his directorial debut. The movie starred Sreenivasan in titular role with Vineeth Sreenivasan, Fahadh Faasil, Jagathy Sreekumar, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Mukesh and Mamta Mohandas. The film is a spin-off of popular 2005 film Udayananu Tharam. Sreenivasan reprises the role of Megastar Saroj Kumar from the original. The director announced that this is not a sequel: Only some characters from Udayananu Tharam were used. The film was shot mainly in Chennai and Kochi.

<i>Ennum Eppozhum</i> 2015 film by Sathyan Anthikad

Ennum Eppozhum is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film directed by Sathyan Anthikad and written by Ranjan Pramod based on a story by Raveendran. It was produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the production company Aashirvad Cinemas. It stars Mohanlal and Manju Warrier, alongside a supporting cast including Innocent, Reenu Mathews, Jacob Gregory, Lena and Renji Panicker. It also marked the reunion of Mohanlal and Manju Warrier after 17 years. Ennum Eppozhum was released across India on 27 March 2015 and met with mixed reviews from critics. The film was a commercial success though at the box office. The song "Malarvaka Kombathu" won Kerala State Film Award for Best Singer for P. Jayachandran.

Ranjan Abraham is an Indian film editor who predominantly works in Malayalam films. He has worked over 100 Malayalam films. He started as an assistant of noted editor G. Venkitaraman. His first independent assignment was Maravathoorkanavu directed by debutant Lal Jose. He frequently collaborated with Joshiy, Lal Jose and Vineeth Sreenivasan.

<i>Kayamkulam Kochunni</i> (2018 film) 2018 film directed by Rosshan Andrrews

Kayamkulam Kochunni is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language period action film directed by Rosshan Andrrews and written by Bobby & Sanjay. It is based on the life of Kayamkulam Kochunni, a famed highwayman who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor during the British Raj in the early 19th century Central Travancore. The film stars Nivin Pauly in the title role along with Mohanlal, Sunny Wayne and Babu Antony in supporting roles.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "`Udayan` is a blockbuster! - Sify.com". web.archive.org. 8 April 2005. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  2. ↑ Sify preview
  3. ↑ https://www.webindia123.com/movie/regional/udhayananu/index.htm [ bare URL ]
  4. ↑ "Row over Kerala State Films Award - Times of India". The Times of India .
  5. ↑ "Row over Kerala State Films Award". The Times of India.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Sreedhar Pillai A coup by debutant director. The Hindu
  7. ↑ "BizHat.com - `Udayan` satellite rights sold at record price!". movies.bizhat.com. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "Udayananu Tharam Review | Udayananu Tharam Malayalam Movie Review by Paresh C. Palicha". NOWRUNNING. 21 January 2005. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  9. ↑ "Udayananu Tharam". Sify.com. 8 March 2005. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "Udayananu Tharam Malayalam Movie review-Webindia123.com". www.webindia123.com. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "Review – Udayananu Tharam | varnachitram". web.archive.org. 14 July 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  12. 1 2 "2005- An analysis". Sify . 22 December 2005. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Audience apathy to young stars continues!". Sify . 21 March 2005. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018.
  14. ↑ George, Meghna. "First Look: Padmasree Bharat Dr Saroj Kumar". Rediff. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.