Udayananu Tharam

Watched the newest blockbuster from Malayalam movie industry, Udayananu Tharam. It is indeed one of the better films that has come out in Malayalam in the recent past, a respite from the unbearable comedies whose main purpose is to make idiots out of their viewers. It is a tight, technically decent film with Mohanlal in the title role and Sreenivasan in the main supporting role.

The magic of Mohanlal-Sreenivasan duo, both the actors now in their forties, is missing. Even the natural chemistry the two had in their hit films of the eighties like Nadodikattu and Pattanapravesham is absent. Mohanlal is in his best physical form in the last few years. The selling point of the movie, from my perspective, is its songs and an almost natural script, which is a rarity these days in Malayalam cinema. Still it is nowhere near the best Sreenivasan had come out with in the past. Since it is a movie about South Indian filmdom the writer(Sreenivasan) has taken liberties to include not-so-hidden references to real life stars and their antics. For example, Malayalam movie viewers are aware of the much publicized media aided tug of war between a young actress and her greedy family, then there is the part where it says superstars are now in to pickle and readymade food business(you know who is doing that). Rosshan Andrrews, the director himself was a struggling assistant direcotr before he made this movie, which is what the main character played by Mohanlal portrays in the movie.

Meena looks good and comedian Salim Kumar (the only one amongst the new breed of comedians I've liked) has a serious supporting role. For a change, climax does not involve an emotional deluge which seems to be a prerequisite these days for a succesful run at the Kerala box office. Hope this will herald a wind of change in Malayalam movie industry.