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Recently, Mohanlal has enjoyed enormous success at the box office in the Kerala domestic market, not only with his new films but also with re-releases. The most recent example of this success is Chotta Mumbai (2007), which managed to earn INR 3.31 crores during its second run. Now, another re-release of a Mohanlal classic is returning to the silver screen. The film is a black comedy that takes a satirical look at the Malayalam film industry, primarily focusing on the struggles of up-and-coming talents like directors, actors, and the prevailing superstar culture. The film supposedly drew inspiration from some real-life incidents.
Udayananu Tharam explores the Malayalam film industry through the struggles of talented individuals trying to break in, but who never had the opportunity to prove themselves. The protagonist, Udayabhanu, is a writer-director, and Superstar Saroj Kumar was once his friend. Back then, Saroj was a struggling, talentless actor who struck gold by stealing Udayabhanu’s script and presenting it to a producer, on the condition that he play the lead role. The film became a massive success, catapulting Saroj Kumar to stardom, while Udayabhanu continued to struggle. What will Udayabhanu’s next move be?
Udayananu Tharam is a cult classic in Mollywood. When it was released, it received both critical acclaim and audience praise. The film was made on an estimated budget of INR 2.75 crores and managed an estimated gross of INR 6.69 crores.
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Udayananu Tharam rewrote box office records by delivering the biggest opening ever for a Malayalam film at the time. It went on to become the first commercial hit of 2005 and sustained its momentum with an impressive 100-day theatrical run, cementing its place in Mollywood history.
The re-release has been rescheduled several times. Now, according to Filmibeat, the new release date is set for July 18, 2025 and the re-release will be a restored 4K version. However, unlike Chotta Mumbai, Udayananu Tharam is not a mass action-comedy, so it remains to be seen whether it will have the same appeal. The film is currently available on Manorama Max, but the print quality is standard for a film of that era—not 4K.
Directed by Rosshan Andrrews and based on a screenplay by Sreenivasan, the film stars Mohanlal, Sreenivasan, Meena, Jagathy Sreekumar, Salim Kumar, Indrans, Mukesh, Cochin Hanifa, Bhavana, and Janardanan. The music is composed by Deepak Dev, with cinematography by S. Kumar and editing by Ranjan Abraham. Produced by Karunakar under the banner of Perfect Group.
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