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Udayon
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'Udayon' Average Film, Superb acting by Mohanlal

By P. Sreekumaran
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

The director has denied it. But there is no gainsaying that Udayon is an extension of Bhadran-Mohanlal duo's earlier superhit Spadigam. Not of the same class, of course. Spadigam was more spicy. The frames were fuller and fraught with fun and vitality. It was a neatly packaged film with the right mix of glamour, action, romance and comedy.

At the outset, it must be said Bhadran has failed to do a repeat job. In his anxiety to make a better film than Spadigam, Bhadran has ended up making a movie that falls far short of the ‘Spadigam’ standard. But for a stupendous performance from Megastar Mohanlal as the 70-year-old Kunju, Udayon would have met the dismal fate that befell some of Lal’s lesser-known films like Thandavam, Praja, Chandrolsavam etc. Bhadran must thank the Megastar for sparing him the blushes.

Be

that as it may, Mohanlal must be a much relieved man now that Udayon is showing signs of becoming a hit. After all, the chubby-faced actor is badly in need of a hit, he has not had one since Udayananu Tharam.

The milieu and the ambience of Udayon is the same as in Spadigam. It is the story of a Syrian Christian family. The pater-familias, Sooranadu Kunju is known for his passion for land. Kunju has come up the hard way fighting against heavy odds and armed only with his indomitable will power and indefatigable spirit.

Kunju's is a large family consisting of five children, among them a son born out of his second marriage. The others are Rarichan (Innocent), Pappoyi (Mohanlal), Itti (Babu) and daughter Molly (Sukanya).

But then, the old man has nothing but contempt for his children. The reason? The children do not share his pathological passion for land and hard work. Their easy-going nature gets on the nerves of the patriarch.

And the old man is simply appalled to know that his three sons have sold out the 10 acres of land he had given them.

Rarichan wants to be a clock mechanic. Itti is a politician in the making. Pappoyi is a laggard who whiles away his time doing nothing!

Before long, Kunju comes into conflict with his children. Things reach a flashpoint when Kunju refuses to spend money on the marriage of his one and only daughter!

As if all this is not enough, Kunju’s only sister Ichamma (Bindu Panikkar) feels let down. She has reason to feel aggrieved because Kunju had cheated her of 5 acres of land. Kunju's flat refusal to do justice causes a rift in the family.

The battle lines have been well and truly drawn: on one side is Kunju and ranged against him are his children Mathan (Kalabhavan Mani), Thoma (Jagathy) and Pottan (Manoj K Jayan), all bent on settling scores with him.

What follows is a flaming row between Kunju, his children and sister. The denouement is thrilling and appropriate. Since it is a dialogue-oriented film, it takes a while to have a grip on the plot and relate to the characters.

A feature of Spadigam was Aadu Thoma's (spiritedly essayed by Mohanlal) Mundoori Adi (use of dhoti as a bludgeon). In Udayon too Bhadran has come out with an identification mark: 'Mala oori Adi' which has Pappoyi using his gold chain to suffocate his enemies.

Music director Ouseppachan has done a fine job. But unfortunately for him, the songs stick out like a sore thumb and detract from the main theme. Bhadran's imaginative use of Panchavadyam during the fight sequences is highly effective.

A word of praise is in order for veteran cinematographer Ramachandra Babu, who wields his camera like a magician.

There is no doubt about it. Sooranadu Kunju is another fine feather in Mohanlal's acting cap. It has shades of Mohanlal's Managalasseri Neelakantan in Ravanaprabhu. There are a lot of similarities between the two characters. Both are old but continue to be in robust health. Both are fighters, arrogant and ruthless. The body language bespeaks authority and arrogance in an effective manner. The softening of the tough old man in the end has been brilliantly portrayed by Mohanlal, the actor par excellence. After Udayananu Tharam, Mohanlal has come up with a performance notable for its brooding intensity and compelling power. Kunju dominates Udayon out and out.

No wonder, other characters suffer in the bargain. Still, special mention must be made of Manoj K Jayan and Bindu Panicker in the supporting cast. They have held their ground admirably and refused to be swept off by the Kunju juggernaut.

One wishes Bhadran had better utilised Innocent, Jagathy, Salim Ghouse, Laya and Sukanya. Laya as a nurse and Mohanlal's love interest has nothing much to do. Even Papoyi is an unappetizing mix of Mohanlal's many earlier roles.

An average film enhanced by Mohanlal's masterly performance as old man Kunju.

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