Aavanazhi

Aavanazhi is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language action film directed by I. V. Sasi, written by T. Damodaran. The film deals with social and political issues of that time. It stars Mammootty, Geetha, Seema, Sukumaran, Captain Raju, Janardanan, Jagannatha Varma, Innocent, Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair, Sreenivasan and Sankaradi.[1]

Aavanazhi
Theatrical release poster
Directed byI. V. Sasi
Written byT. Damodaran
Produced bySajan
Starring
CinematographyJayaram V.
Edited byK. Narayanan
Music byShyam
Production
company
Saj Productions
Release date
  • 12 September 1986 (1986-09-12)
Running time
152 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Aavanazhi was the highest grossing Malayalam film at the time and was an industry hit. It was remade in Kannada as "Anthima Theerpu" starring Ambareesh and Geetha, in Tamil as Kadamai Kanniyam Kattupaadu, in Telugu as Marana Sasanam and in Hindi as Satyamev Jayate. I. V. Sasi made two sequels — Inspector Balram in 1991 and Balram vs. Taradas in 2006.

Plot

"Karadi" Balram is an honest CI, who is frustrated after several personal setbacks, including a failed affair of the heart, has turned to drinking and womanizing. Balram is assigned to nab Satyaraj, who evaded the clutches of the cops after murdering Chackochan, a contractor. Balram successfully arrests him, but in court, Satyaraj is represented by Adv. Jayachandran, where he is acquitted by the court, but Balram decides to frame in several other criminal charges pending against him. Usha, Balram's ex-lover, is now married to Jayachandran. Balram falls in love with Seetha, a prostitute, whom he decides to marry. Meanwhile, Radha, a young lady, is determined to avenge herself on Balram, who she believes to have killed her brother while in police custody, but Satyaraj was the one who killed him, on instruction from Vincent. Falsely implicated, Balram had been suspended, but has been reinstated. Though Seetha tries to convince Radha of the truth, she is not ready to accept it. To gain her revenge over Balram, Radha decides to offer Satyaraj a safe stay away from the police eyes. Balram's open fight with Satyaraj forms the rest of the plot.

Cast

Release and reception

The film was released on 12 September 1986, in 20 theatres. In 2005, Nana Magazine wrote thst Mammootty has played cop in a total of 25 films from Yavanika to Balram vs Tharadas, but his most memorable police role is that of Inspector Balram from I. V. Sasi's Avanazhi.[2] The film was a major commercial success. It was the highest grossing film at the time.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] The film ran for more than 200 days in theatres in Kerala.[9]

Remakes

All the remakes of the film were commercial successes.

Year Film Language Ref.
1987 Anthima Theerpu Kannada
1987 Marana Shasanam Telugu
1987 Satyamev Jayate Hindi
1987 Kadamai Kanniyam Kattupaadu Tamil

Sequels

The movie had two sequels; a 1991 film Inspector Balram and a spiritual successor, Balram vs. Tharadas in which Mammootty reprises his roles from two films, Inspector Balram from Aavanazhi and Tharadas from Athiratram.

Legacy

The film is considered to be one of I.V. Sasi's best works. The film remains to be the only Malayalam Industry hit with a policeman as its central character. The protagonist Inspector Balram remains to be one of the most iconic characters in Malayalam cinema.[1]

References
  1. "Remembering a legend: Five iconic IV Sasi movies that shaped Mollywood". Indulge Express. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  2. Nana (2005) "Rare collections No.044"
  3. "Architect of blockbusters". The Hindu. 26 April 2013. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  4. "Saluting the maker of super hits". The Hindu. 13 April 2013. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  5. "I.V. Sasi reigned at the box office, and made classics too". The Hindu. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  6. "Kollywood's craze for Malayalam screenplays". Sify. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  7. C S Venkiteswaran (8 November 2017). "Trendsetting titan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  8. "The End of an Epoch". The Hindu. 26 October 2017. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  9. "10 Mammootty films to watch before you die". The Times of India. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
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