Udayananu Tharam

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Udayananu Tharam
Directed by Rosshan Andrrews
Produced by C. Karunakaran
Written by Sreenivasan
Starring Mohanlal,
Sreenivasan,
Meena,
Bhavana,
Mukesh
Music by Deepak Dev
Distributed by Carlton Films
Release date(s) 2005
Running time 2 hrs 42 min.
Language Malayalam
IMDb profile

Udayananu Tharam (translation: Udayan is the Star) is a 2005 Malayalam movie which presents the South Indian (especially the Malayalam) film industry through a satirical viewpoint. The financial and artistic crisis which plagued the once glittering Malayalam film industry during the turn of the 21st century lies at the centerpoint of this movie.

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[edit] Production

The film was released in 2005, at a time when Malayalam cinema was going through its much talked about crisis, owing to a general decline in production standards. The movie was directed by debutant Rosshan Andrrews, who was, till then, an unknown assistant director. The film turned out to be a blockbuster hit with theaters running to packed audiences, which appeared to shake the industry from its ongoing artistic stupor.

[edit] Selected Cast List

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Udayananu Tharam is the story of Udayabhanu, a worshipper of films and an immensely talented assistant film director, who yearns to write and direct his own movie - 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. As Udayabhanu finally prepares to shoot his first movie based on his own script, he discovers to his horror that Rajappan has stolen his manuscript, and shooting is underway with Rajappan playing the lead, which eventually propels him to stardom. Udhayabhanu soon finds himself faced with a career and personal crisis, with his faltering relations with his superstar wife Madhumati contributing to the latter.

Scripted by Sreenivasan in his usual self deprecating manner, the dialogues makes snide remarks at various contemporary film cultures such as business ventures of film stars (perhaps a stab at Mohanlal himself), the inflow of third-rate film directors into Malayalam cinema and their tendency to depend solely on Super Stars to produce hits, the prevalence of "mimicry films", the gaudy "cooling glass" dress sense of actors, the infamous Meera Jasmine struggle with her parents, and even about "rascals stealing promising actresses from the film industry" - taking a rather uncomfortable shot at several prominent Malayalam film star marriages.

[edit] Trivia

  • Roshan Andrews changed his name to Rosshan Andrrews as per his Astrologer's suggestion to ensure the success of the movie.
  • The climax of this movie is heavily 'borrowed' from 1999 Steve Martin comedy Bowfinger, where a neurotic superstar (Kit Ramsey, played by Eddie Murphy) is secretly filmed by a desparate filmmaker Bobby Bowfinger (played by Steve Martin).
  • Roshan Andrews will be remaking this film in hindi titled Shortcut - the con is on starring Anil Kapoor and Arshad Warsi. It's to be produced by Anil Kapoor himself.
  • Mozhi stars, Prakash Raj has announced that his next film will be titled, Velli Thirai, which is a remake of this film staring Prithviraj, who also worked with Raj in Mozhi. Also to be produced by Prakash Raj himself.

[edit] External links