Udayananu Tharam
Encyclopedia
Udayananu Tharam is a 2005 Malayalam comedy
film that presents the southern Indian film industry (especially Malayalam cinema
) through a satirical viewpoint. It was written by Sreenivasan and directed by debutant Rosshan Andrrews
. The film stars Mohanlal
, Sreenivasan, Meena, Jagathy Sreekumar
, and Mukesh
in the lead roles. 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.
Roshan Andrews changed his name to Rosshan Andrrews as per his astrologer
's suggestion to ensure the success of the film. The film was a blockbuster, and grossed 3.2 crores in two weeks from 41 screens in Kerala with a distributor's share of 1.38 crores. This was the biggest opening for any Malayalam film till then.
), 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 (Sreenivasan) 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 (Meena) contributing to the latter.
Later, with the help of producer Babykuttan (Mukesh
), Udayabanu prepares to direct another film, but he is forced to cast Rajappan as the hero since he was the star with most screen value at that time. Rajappan takes up the offer but takes revenge on Udayabanu by giving maximum trouble. Towards the end of the shoot, Rajappan leaves the set leaving the movie unfinished with the hope that this will destroy Udayabanu's career for ever. But Udayabanu devices clever tactics and shoots the remaining scenes with Rajappan itself without him even aware of it. At the end Rajappan realises his mistakes and admits publicly that Udayabanu is the real star and not himself.
Scripted by Sreenivasan in his usual self-deprecating manner, the dialogue makes snide remarks about various aspects of contemporary film culture such as the business ventures of film stars, the inflow of third-rate film directors into Malayalam cinema
and their tendency to depend solely on superstars to produce hits, the prevalence of "mimicry films", the gaudy "cooling glass" dress sense of actors, Meera Jasmine
's infamous struggle with her parents, and even about "rascals stealing promising actresses from the film industry" - taking a shot at several prominent Malayalam film star marriages.
was going through 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.
Asianet Film Awards
and lyrics by Kaithapram. The songs were on the top of chartbusters for months.
In the Hindi version, neither the original Malayalam film nor the writer/director were credited. However, the film's story seems to have been adapted from a mix of scripts from the 1999 film Bowfinger
and the 2002 american comedy, Big Fat Liar
.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film that presents the southern Indian film industry (especially Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
) through a satirical viewpoint. It was written by Sreenivasan and directed by debutant Rosshan Andrrews
Rosshan Andrrews
Rosshan Andrrews is an Indian film director who has made films in Malayalam cinema.- Career :His first movie was the 2005 Malayalam movie Udayananu Tharam starring Mohanlal. After the success of this movie Rosshan Andrrews directed another movie in 2006 named Notebook...
. The film stars Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
, Sreenivasan, Meena, Jagathy Sreekumar
Jagathy Sreekumar
Sreekumar Achary, better known by his stage name Jagathy Sreekumar, is an Indian film actor who has performed in more than 1,000 Malayalam films. He has also directed two films and has written screenplays for two films...
, and Mukesh
Mukesh (actor)
Mukesh , born Mukesh Babu, is an Indian film actor and producer known for his work in Malayalam cinema.- Personal Life :...
in the lead roles. 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.
Roshan Andrews changed his name to Rosshan Andrrews as per his astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
's suggestion to ensure the success of the film. The film was a blockbuster, and grossed 3.2 crores in two weeks from 41 screens in Kerala with a distributor's share of 1.38 crores. This was the biggest opening for any Malayalam film till then.
Synopsis
Udayananu Tharam is the story of Udayabhanu (MohanlalMohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
), 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 (Sreenivasan) 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
Stardom
Stardom is a 2000 Canadian film written by J.Jacob Potashnik & Denys Arcand and directed by Denys Arcand and starring Jessica Paré and Dan Aykroyd. It tells the story of a young girl who tries to cope with her rise to stardom after being discovered by a fashion agency...
. Udhayabhanu soon finds himself faced with a career and personal crisis, with his faltering relations with his superstar wife Madhumati (Meena) contributing to the latter.
Later, with the help of producer Babykuttan (Mukesh
Mukesh (actor)
Mukesh , born Mukesh Babu, is an Indian film actor and producer known for his work in Malayalam cinema.- Personal Life :...
), Udayabanu prepares to direct another film, but he is forced to cast Rajappan as the hero since he was the star with most screen value at that time. Rajappan takes up the offer but takes revenge on Udayabanu by giving maximum trouble. Towards the end of the shoot, Rajappan leaves the set leaving the movie unfinished with the hope that this will destroy Udayabanu's career for ever. But Udayabanu devices clever tactics and shoots the remaining scenes with Rajappan itself without him even aware of it. At the end Rajappan realises his mistakes and admits publicly that Udayabanu is the real star and not himself.
Scripted by Sreenivasan in his usual self-deprecating manner, the dialogue makes snide remarks about various aspects of contemporary film culture such as the business ventures of film stars, the inflow of third-rate film directors into Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
and their tendency to depend solely on superstars to produce hits, the prevalence of "mimicry films", the gaudy "cooling glass" dress sense of actors, Meera Jasmine
Meera Jasmine
Meera Jasmine is an Indian actress, who appears in regional Indian films that includes Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2004 and is a two time recipient of the Kerala State Film Award, the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, as well as the...
's infamous struggle with her parents, and even about "rascals stealing promising actresses from the film industry" - taking a shot at several prominent Malayalam film star marriages.
Cast
- MohanlalMohanlalMohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
as Udayabhanu - Sreenivasan as Rajappan Thengummoodu/Superstar Saroj Kumar
- Meena as Madhumathi
- JagathyJagathy SreekumarSreekumar Achary, better known by his stage name Jagathy Sreekumar, is an Indian film actor who has performed in more than 1,000 Malayalam films. He has also directed two films and has written screenplays for two films...
as Pachalam Bhasi - MukeshMukesh (actor)Mukesh , born Mukesh Babu, is an Indian film actor and producer known for his work in Malayalam cinema.- Personal Life :...
as Babykuttan - A. K. Lohithadas as Director Prathapan
- Cochin HaneefaCochin HaneefaMohammed Haneefa, better known by his stage name Cochin Haneefa was an Indian film actor, director, and screenwriter. He started his career in the 1970s mainly portraying villainous roles, before going on to become one of the most popular comedians of Malayalam cinema...
as Sona Sisupalan - Salim Kumar as Rafeeq
- JanardhananJanardhanan (actor)Janardhanan is a Malayalam film actor. He is known for his peculiar style of handling humor and his quaint voice. He started his career playing brusque villains in the 1970s but later went on to establish himself as a highly sought-after comedian. The turning point of his career was the role of...
as Madhumathi's father - Anand as Dinesh
- Bhavana as Gayathri
Release
The film was released on 21 January 2005, at a time when Malayalam cinemaMalayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
was going through a general decline in production standards. The movie was directed by debutant Rosshan Andrrews
Rosshan Andrrews
Rosshan Andrrews is an Indian film director who has made films in Malayalam cinema.- Career :His first movie was the 2005 Malayalam movie Udayananu Tharam starring Mohanlal. After the success of this movie Rosshan Andrrews directed another movie in 2006 named Notebook...
, who was, till then, an unknown assistant director. The film turned out to be a blockbuster hit.
Kerala State Film Awards
- Best Debut DirectorKerala State Film Award for Best Debut DirectorThe Kerala State Film Award for Best Debut Director winners:-References:**...
- Rosshan AndrrewsRosshan AndrrewsRosshan Andrrews is an Indian film director who has made films in Malayalam cinema.- Career :His first movie was the 2005 Malayalam movie Udayananu Tharam starring Mohanlal. After the success of this movie Rosshan Andrrews directed another movie in 2006 named Notebook... - Best ChoreographerKerala State Film Award for Best ChoreographyThe Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography winners:-References:**...
- Brinda
Asianet Film AwardsAsianet Film AwardsThe Asianet Film Awards is the most prominent award ceremony for Malayalam films presented annually by Asianet, a Malayalam-language television network from the south-Indian state of Kerala. The awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artistic and technical excellence in the Malayalam...
- Best Actor - MohanlalMohanlalMohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
- Best Script Writer - Sreenivasan
- Best Cinematographer - S. Kumar
Soundtrack
The songs were composed by Deepak DevDeepak Dev
Deepak Devraj, better known as Deepak Dev is an Indian music composer, best known for his compositions in Malayalam cinema, with films such as Chronic Bachelor, Symphony, Udayananu Tharam, Naran, and Puthiya Mukham.-Early years:...
and lyrics by Kaithapram. The songs were on the top of chartbusters for months.
| Track | Song Title !! Singer(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parayaathe | Dr. K. J. Yesudas K. J. Yesudas Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is an Indian classical musician and playback singer.Yesudas sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. He has recorded more than 50,000 songs in many languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi, Punjabi,... , K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra often credited as Chithra , is an Indian playback singer who has made her mark in the Indian music playback industry. Popularly known as Chinna Kuyil of South India, she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Badaga and Punjabi films... |
| 2 | Karale Karalinte | Vineeth Sreenivasan Vineeth Sreenivasan Vineeth Sreenivasan is an Indian playback singer, film actor, director, and screenwriter. He is the son of actor Sreenivasan. He made his debut as a director with his film Malarvaadi Arts Club .- Biography :... , Rimi Tomy |
| 3 | Penne En Penne | Afsal, Shalini Singh Pop shalini Shalini Singh popularly called as Pop Shalini is a singer from Tamil Nadu, India.Shalini Singh popularly known as Pop Shalini was one of the first teenagers to release an album when she was only 13. She has sung over 500 songs in various Indian languages for Indian films... |
| 4 | Parayaathe | Karthik Karthik (singer) Karthik is an Indian playback singer.Karthik started his professional singing career as a backing vocalist and has since been a playback singer in Tamil cinema while also single in other Indian languages for various composers... |
| 5 | Penne En Penne (My Girl - Remix) | Afsal |
| 6 | Udayananu Tharam | Ranjith Govind Ranjith (singer) Ranjith is an Indian playback singer who originally hails from Kerala. He was brought up in Tamil Nadu and he is very famous for his playback singing in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.... , Deepak Dev Deepak Dev Deepak Devraj, better known as Deepak Dev is an Indian music composer, best known for his compositions in Malayalam cinema, with films such as Chronic Bachelor, Symphony, Udayananu Tharam, Naran, and Puthiya Mukham.-Early years:... |
Sequel
A sequel is planned for the movie named Padmasree Bharat Dr. Saroj Kumar. Sreenivasan will be reprising the role of Sarojkumar with Vineeth Sreenivasan. Initial reports saying Mohanlal will not be the part of movie, which will be directed by debutante Sajin RaghavanRemakes
| Year | Film | Language | Cast | Director | Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Velli Thirai Velli Thirai Vellitherai is a 2008 Tamil drama film directed by debutant Viji, previously a dialogue writer. The film stars Prithviraj, as an assistant director hoping to make it big and Gopika, his love interest in the lead roles. Prakash Raj, the producer of the movie, also plays a prominent role in the... |
Tamil Tamil cinema Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered... |
Prakash Raj Prakash Raj Prakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to... , Prithviraj Prithviraj Prithviraj may refer to:* Prithviraj Chauhan , a king of the Chauhan dynasty* Prithviraj Kapoor, a famous Indian theatre and cinema personality best known for his work in Hindi cinema.... , Gopika Gopika Gopika is an Indian film actress, who has predominantly starred in Malayalam films. Starting her career as a model, she ventured into acting with the film Pranayamanithooval... , Charle Charle Charle is a South Indian actor who has acted in more than 550 movies. He started his career as a Staff Artist - Actor in Song & Drama Division of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and moved on to perform more than 10000 drama shows in Six years. He was named as Charle and introduced in the... , M. S. Baskar M. S. Baskar M. S. Bhaskar is an Indian actor. A former theatre artiste, he has appeared in supporting roles and as a comedian in Tamil TV series and more recently in Tamil films. He is probably best known for his performances in the series Chinna Papa Periya Papa and Selvi and in the films Sivakasi and Mozhi... |
Viji | Flop |
| 2009 | Shortkut | Hindil | Akshaye Khanna Akshaye Khanna Akshaye Khanna is a critically acclaimed Indian film actor who works in Hindi cinema. Known for his impeccable acting talent and flawless diction, Khanna has worked with the best names in Indian cinema.- Background :... , Amrita Rao Amrita Rao Amrita Rao is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films.Beginning her career as a model, Rao made her acting debut with Ab Ke Baras... , Arshad Warsi Arshad Warsi Arshad Warsi is an Indian actor who debuted in 1996 with the film Tere Mere Sapne which was a success but he is best known for his role as "Circuit" in the comedy films Munnabhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munnabhai and his role as Babban in Ishqiya which won him acclaim.-Early life and... , Chunky Pandey Chunky Pandey Suyash 'Chunky' Pandey is an Indian film actor who has appeared in various Bollywood films. He has appeared in over 55 movies in a career that has spanned over two decades and has been nominated once for his supportive role in Tezaab... |
Neeraj Vora Neeraj Vora Neeraj Vora is an Indian film director, writer, actor and composer who works in Bollywood.-Director:* Run Bhola Run * Shortkut - The Con Is On * Familywala * Phir Hera Pheri... |
Flop |
In the Hindi version, neither the original Malayalam film nor the writer/director were credited. However, the film's story seems to have been adapted from a mix of scripts from the 1999 film Bowfinger
Bowfinger
Bowfinger is a 1999 comedy cult film directed by Frank Oz. It depicts a down-and-out filmmaker in Hollywood attempting to make a film on a small budget with a star who does not know that he is in the film...
and the 2002 american comedy, Big Fat Liar
Big Fat Liar
Big Fat Liar is a 2002 American teen comedy film directed by Shawn Levy, written and produced by Dan Schneider and Brian Robbins, and starring Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, and Amanda Bynes...
.