What Tharun Moorthy noticed in Mohanlal’s performance in ‘Thudarum’

Director Tharun Moorthy’s recent Instagram note on Mohanlal has struck a chord on social media. In the post, Tharun reflects on moments from the shoot of 'Thudarum', recalling how he was transfixed by the constant shift of navarasas on Mohanlal’s face as he watched the scenes play out on the monitor.

A trained Kathakali artiste, Tharun wrote that witnessing the nine classical emotions flow through Mohanlal on screen had long been a personal dream. Seeing those expressions unfold during filming, he said, was a quiet and deeply fulfilling experience he kept as his own private joy.

What stayed with him, however, was that even as 'Thudarum' was widely analysed for its nuances, the presence of the navarasas remained largely unspoken, like an unnamed truth hiding in plain sight.

That changed during the pooja ceremony of his next film with Mohanlal, when someone introduced the idea of “Benz Navarasas”. The moment, Tharun wrote, felt like everything finally aligning. “It felt like recognition. It felt like grace. It felt like greatness.”

One of the standout filmmakers of Malayalam cinema’s new generation, Tharun Moorthy first made his mark with 'Operation Java' and went on to earn critical acclaim and a Kerala State Award for Best Malayalam Film with 'Saudi Vellakka'. With 'Thudarum', starring Mohanlal, he has reached a major milestone in his career.