Udayananu Tharam

Rosshan Andrrews's 2005 Malayalam film follows Udayabhanu, waiting for his chance to direct. He has been writing scripts for years and watching for an opening. His roommate Rajappan, an ordinary man working as an extra, steals his script and rises to become the superstar Saroj Kumar. The screenplay is by Sreenivasan and is among the sharpest satires Malayalam cinema has turned on itself. How the star system works, whose name goes on the poster, the relationships at awards ceremonies and the producers' calculations are all shown directly. Mohanlal plays Udayabhanu and Sreenivasan plays Saroj Kumar. The Saroj Kumar character caught on so thoroughly that he was given his own film in later years. Presenting the criticism as comedy is what lets the harder parts land. Who it's for: those who know Malayalam cinema and enjoy industry satire. Who it's not for: viewers without that context; most of the jokes require knowledge of the Malayalam film industry.