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Tharun Moorthy Filmography Overview(Photo Credit –Instagram)

After a long wait, the iconic ’90s duo Mohanlal and Shobana are finally returning to the silver screen with Thudarum, set to release on April 25, 2025. One of the key creative forces behind the film is its director, Tharun Moorthy. Thudarum marks his third directorial venture. So, what has Tharun Moorthy achieved with his previous films?

His directorial journey began in 2021 with Operation Java, followed by Saudi Vellakka. Let’s take a closer look at these films and trace his cinematic path so far to better understand what Thudarum might bring to the table.

Operation Java (2021)

Available on: ZEE5

Operation Java delves into the world of cybercrime and the specialized police division that tackles such cases. The film offers a realistic portrayal of cybercrime investigations while also following the journey of two BTech graduates struggling to find employment. Their quest leads them to a...

Tharun Moorthy Mohanlal Meeting (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Tharun Moorthy is no stranger to film directing, having already helmed critically acclaimed hits like Operation Java and Saudi Vellakka. Despite his experience, he struggled for nearly eight months to secure a meeting with Mohanlal to narrate Thudarum’s script.

However, the project didn’t come to a halt. Producer M. Renjith, writer K.R. Sunil, Tharun Moorthy, and his team continued discussions and preparations. Meanwhile, Mohanlal was deeply engaged in the production of Malaikottai Vaaliban and planning the schedule for Empuraan, leaving them uncertain about when they would finally get their chance to meet him.

‘We were eagerly anticipating his call.’ Tharun Moorthy revealed in an interview with the YouTube channel I Am with Dhanya Varma.

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Kanguva editor Nishad Yusuf diest at 43 ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Editor Nishad Yusuf, who had recently worked on the much-awaited Suriya starrer fantasy-action film Kanguva, was found dead in his Kochi home in the early hours of Wednesday (October 30). He was 43 years of age. According to a news report in India Today, some Malayalam reports state that his body was found in his house in Panampilly Nagar, Kochi, at 2 am. The police investigations have begun, and till now, no statement has been released by the authorities on the cause of death.

The Kanguva editor’s death was confirmed by The Film Employees Federation Of Kerala (Fefka) Director’s Union on their Facebook page. Sharing a picture of Nishad Yusuf, the federation’s statement said, “The unexpected demise of Nishadh Yusuf, film editor, who played a major role in determining the contemporary future of the changing Malayalam cinema is not something the...

Anand Ekarshi’s Malayalam-language “Aattam” (“The Play”) was named best film on Friday at India’s National Film Awards. The film also won editing for Mahesh Bhuvanend and original screenplay for Ekarshi.

Sooraj R. Barjatya won best director for Bollywood film “Uunchai,” starring Amitabh Bachchan. Neena Gupta won supporting actress for the film.

Rishabh Shetty’s Kannada-language “Kantara” won the award for ‘best film providing wholesome entertainment,’ while Shetty also won best actor.

The best actress award was shared by Nithya Menen for Tamil-language “Thiruchitrambalam” and Manasi Parekh for Gujarati-language “Kutch Express.” “Thiruchitrambalam” also won the choreography award for Jani Master and Sathish Krishnan, while Niki Joshi won the costume designer award for “Kutch Express.”

Pawan Malhotra won supporting actor for Haryanvi film “Fouja,” which also won best debut director for Pramod Kumar and lyrics for Naushad Sadar Khan. Sreepath won the child actor award for Malayalam-language film “Malikappuram.”

Arpita Mukherjee and Rahul V.

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who is currently busy with the shooting of his upcoming film Bro Daddy, has reportedly signed another project with a young and talented director. According to sources, Mohanlal will be playing the lead role in Tharun Moorthy’s next film, which is tentatively titled Benz Vasu.

Tharun Moorthy made his directorial debut with Operation Java, a critically acclaimed and commercially successful cybercrime thriller that released earlier this year. His second film, Saudi Vellakka, a social drama based on a real-life incident, was selected for the Indian Panorama section at the 52nd International Film Festival of India (Iffi) 2022.

Operation Java Trailer

Benz Vasu is said to be a remake of the 1980 Malayalam film of the same name, which starred Jayan in the titular role. The film was about a petty criminal who inherits a small garage from his friend and turns it into a profitable business. However, he...

Tharun Moorthy, the director of the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Malayalam film Operation Java, has announced his next project. The untitled film will have Binu Pappu as the writer and Supreme Sundar as the action choreographer. The film is expected to have some thrilling action sequences that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Binu Pappu is not only a writer but also an actor who has impressed the viewers with his versatile roles in films like Helen, One, Operation Java and Bheemante Vazhi. He is the son of veteran actor Kuthiravattam Pappu, who was known for his comic timing and memorable characters. Binu Pappu has shown his flair for writing in Operation Java, where he co-wrote the dialogues with Tharun Moorthy. He has also worked as an associate director in several films.

Operation Java Trailer

Supreme Sundar is a popular stunt master who has worked in Tamil,...

EntertainmentA number of awards went to ‘Nna Thaan Case Kodu’ and ‘Ila Veezha Poonchira’.For his uncanny transformation from a sleeping James to a happy-go-lucky Sundaram in Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, Mammootty, one of the most respected actors in the south, won the Best Actor (Male) award from the government of Kerala – his eighth, counting best and special jury awards from the 80s. Along with him, young Vincy Aloshious won her first state accolade for Best Actor (Female) for the tough title character she played in Rekha, who moves on from love to crude vengeance, literally letting her actions speak louder than words. Director Lijo Jose Pellissery, a habitual maker of fantastical cinema, won the Best Film award for creating Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam. Mahesh Narayanan, an editor who turned to direction with Take Off, won the Best Director award for Areeppu, which told the relatable story of a couple who go...

The Minister for Cultural Affairs, Saji Cheriyan, announced the 53rd Kerala State Film Awards on Friday, July 21, 2023. The awards recognized the best of Malayalam cinema in 2023, from a total of 154 films. The jury was led by acclaimed Bengali filmmaker and screenplay writer Gautam Ghose.

The Best Film award went to Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery. The film featured Mammootty as James, who wakes up as Sundaram, a different person with a different life. Mammootty also won the Best Actor award for his outstanding performance in the film, which received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. This is his sixth Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor.

Nna Thaan Case Kodu Trailer

The Best Actress award was given to Vincy Aloshious for her portrayal of Rekha, a woman who fights against injustice and oppression in a patriarchal society. The film Rekha, directed by Jithin Issac Thomas, was...

InterviewManu Uncle was so popular that 35 years later, people still recognise Kuriachan Chacko as the kid who played Lother in it. Kuriachan tells Tnm about his absence from films and his recent role in ‘Saudi Vellakka’.Still from Manu Uncle / Courtesy - Youtube / Central TalkiesLother is the kind of boy who would take his cousins to a restaurant – all of them pre-teens – and tell them, you can have anything you want, I have got 20 bucks with me. You have got to love him. People have not forgotten him even 35 long years after his first and only appearance in a film called Manu Uncle, a cosy, fun Malayalam children's movie of the late 80s. The kid playing this character grew older of course, but even now, people recognise him as Lother from Manu Uncle, though he made his second appearance in Saudi Vellakka, his first as a grownup, last year. Kuriachan...

InterviewDespite having little to do with acting, 86-year-old Devi garnered much praise for her understated role as an old woman in Tharun Moorthy’s ‘Saudi Vellakka’. CrisDevi Varma in Saudi VellakkaDevi Varma had not watched a film for 15 years when she was offered the leading character of an aged woman in a film in 2022 . She was 85 years old, not at all keen to act, but she not averse to the idea when filmmaker Tharun Moorthy came to tell her about Saudi Vellakka, his new film. He had by then surprised Malayalam movie audiences with Operation Java, his debut, which did wonderfully well. Devi Varma heard him out and only expressed one concern: she might have health issues. They brushed it off — that could be managed, they said. Saudi Vellakka was made and Aisha Rawuthar, Devi’s character, was warmly received. “I had no tension, no difficulties because I had to think of nothing.

CinemaThe 20th Chennai International Film Festival (Ciff) is scheduled to be held between December 15 and December 22. Tnm StaffFacebook and Twitter/ Sai Pallavi, ParthibanThis year’s Chennai International Film Festival (Ciff) is scheduled to be held between Thursday, December 15 and December 22. A total of 102 films are set to be screened this year, as per the screening schedule. The films have been curated under four sections including Tamil Feature Film Competition, Indian Panorama, World Cinema and Country Focus Switzerland. The film festival is conducted by the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (Icaf) in association with PVR Cinemas and is supported by the Tamil Nadu government. Twelve films have been selected under the category of Tamil Feature Film Competition. The films include Parthiban’s Iravin Nizhal, Chimbudevan’s anthology Kasada Thapara, Ramnath Palanikumar directorial Aadhaar, Sai Pallavi starrer Gargi, Ra Venkat’s Kida, director Seenu Ramasaamy’s Maamanithan starring Vijay Sethupathi and Gayathrie, Nayanthara...