Inside Mohanlal's world of Osho: ‘Ullam Thotta Urava’ returns with a second edition

For Mohanlal, Osho is more than a spiritual teacher whose books he has read or whose ideas he admires. Nearly four decades after their first encounter, the actor continues to return to Osho's thoughts on love, solitude and the meaning of life. His book Ullam Thotta Urava, whose second edition was launched in Kochi on Tuesday, is an expression of that enduring engagement.

At the launch, Mohanlal spoke about the similarities he found between himself and Osho, particularly in their approach to life. He described his preference for allowing life to take its course rather than pursuing grand ambitions. "Love is a bird that cannot be caged," he said, likening his love to a bird flying freely in an open sky. He also recalled Osho's thoughts on solitude, saying he knew how to be alone even in the middle of an audience.

That connection, and the influence Osho has had on Mohanlal over the years, also emerged in the recollections of filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad. Remembering a conversation with the actor nearly 20 years ago, Anthikad said Mohanlal had asked him to suggest books to read. He went to bookstore, selected several titles and packed them into a suitcase. He remembered seeing the suitcase travel with Mohanlal during film shoots and noticing a gradual change in the actor's thought process.

"There is an Osho inside Mohanlal," Anthikad observed. He also recalled Osho's understanding of acting: an actor becomes the character while performing but returns to himself when the director says 'cut'.

A similar understanding of Mohanlal's relationship with Osho came through in the words of Ma Amrit Sadhana, who received the book. She spoke about the actor's openness in expressing his affection for Osho and recalled asking him why he did not write about his experiences. Osho, she said, viewed words and books as fingers pointing towards the moon; the real experience lay beyond them, in meditation and self-discovery.

Mohanlal also shared an anecdote that offered another glimpse into this long-standing association. He recalled an Italian filmmaker named Lakshan, who had once approached him with a proposal to play Osho in a film. The filmmaker brought Osho's hat for a photoshoot, promising to return with a script. He died before the project could materialise.

"There is a sun inside every individual. Ever since I met Osho, the sun inside me has been born," Mohanlal said.

Published by Penguin Books, Ullam Thotta Urava is not simply an account of an actor's admiration for a spiritual figure. It offers a glimpse into how a body of thought can accompany someone through decades, quietly influencing the way they understand themselves and the world. Mohanlal ended with the hope that readers who encounter the book might find their own way into Osho's world.