Azhakiya Ravanan

{{Infobox film

| name = Azhakiya Ravanan

| image = Azhakiya Ravanan Poster.jpg

| caption = Poster

| director = Kamal

| screenplay = Sreenivasan

| story = Sreenivasan

| producer = V. P. Madhavan Nair

| starring = Mammootty
Bhanupriya
Sreenivasan
Innocent
Biju Menon
Rajan P. Dev
Cochin Haneefa

| music = Vidyasagar

| cinematography = P. Sukumar

| editing = K. Rajagopal

| released = {{Film date|1996|2|9|df=y}}

| distributor = Murali Films

| runtime = 162 minutes

| country = India

| language = Malayalam

}}

Azhakiya Ravanan (Handsome Ravanan) is a 1996 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Kamal and written by Sreenivasan. The film has an ensemble cast of Mammootty, Bhanupriya, Sreenivasan, Innocent, Biju Menon, Rajan P. Dev, and Cochin Haneefa. Kavya Madhavan portrayed Anuradha's younger self. The movie was produced by V. P. Madhavan Nair under the banner of Murali Films, while the music was composed by Vidyasagar as his debut in Malayalam.{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/interview-with-composer-vidyasagar/article7944503.ece | title=Ocean of melodies | newspaper=The Hindu | date=3 December 2015 | last1=Narayanan | first1=Damodar }} The 2015 film Chirakodinja Kinavukal is a spin-off to this film.{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/mammootty70-iconic-dialogues-of-the-actor/photostory/86003727.cms | title=Mammootty@70: Iconic dialogues of the actor | website=The Times of India | date=7 September 2021 }}{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/malayalam-cinema-to-look-out-for-in-2015/article6767623.ece | title=The buzz in Mollywood | newspaper=The Hindu | date=8 January 2015 | last1=George | first1=Vijay }}{{cite web | url=https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/news/2015/i-wont-make-roles-for-mohanlal-lal-jose-186924.html?story=1 | title=I Won't Make Roles for Mohanlal: Lal Jose | date=15 June 2015 }}

Plot

Shankar Das (Mammootty) is a rich man who returns to his native village in Alappuzha. No one in the village is aware of his past. During his childhood, he was a servant of the local feudal lord, Chatothu Panickar Rajan P. Dev. He left the job after getting severely punished for kissing the lord's young daughter Anuradha (Bhanupriya). He fled to Mumbai and becomes a successful entrepreneur.

Now, he has returned to the village incognito. He is a very boastful man and revels in the praises showered on him by his sycophants. He reveals his identity to Ambujakshan (Sreenivasan), his childhood friend and currently who is a tailor and an unsuccessful novelist. He also confides in him his interest in Panicker's daughter, Anuradha, who was his childhood infatuation. Ambujakshan succeeds in convincing Shankar to produce a film by telling him that it would help him earn the respect of the villagers and win over Anuradha. Thus, the production of the film starts under the direction of Sharath who is also the love interest of Anuradha.

Shankar renders unsolicited financial help to Panicker's family. He later realizes the affection between Anuradha and Sharath(Biju Menon), leading to a pause in the film's production. Later, Shankar proposes marriage to Anuradha which she declines. However, the family, indebted to him, coerces her to marry him. Anuradha, who is infuriated, decides that she will not present herself as a virgin before Shankar and makes love with Sharath. After the marriage, she learns from Shankar that Sharath has accepted money from him for not creating any trouble for their marriage. This causes another heartbreak for her and she confesses about her relationship with Sharath to Shankar. In the end, Shankar embraces Anuradha, and their marital relationship resumes.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Mammootty as Shankar Das / Kuttishankaran
Sreenivasan as Ambujakshan
Bhanupriya as Anuradha
Kavya Madhavan as Young Anuradha
Biju Menon as Sarath
Cochin Haneefa as Varghese, Shankar Das's Assistant
Innocent as Karayogam President T.P.V Kuruppu
Rajan P. Dev as Chathothu Panicker
Valsala Menon as Omanakuttyamma
Santhakumari as Sarath's mother
Anju Aravind as Sandhya
Vineeth Kumar as Santhosh, Anuradha's Brother
Kunchan as Music Director Siddiq
Lal Jose as Assistant Director
Jagadish as himself
Madhupal as himself
Spadikam George as himself
Zainuddin as himself
Krishna Kumar
Beena Antony as herself
Vinodhini
Vichithra

}}

Soundtrack

{{Infobox album

| name = Azhakiya Ravanan

| type = soundtrack

| artist = Vidyasagar

| cover =

| alt =

| caption =

| released = {{start date|df=yes|1996|01}}

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Feature film soundtrack

| length = 23:35

| label = Satyam Audios

| producer = Vidyasagar

| prev_title = Mummy Mee Aayanochadu

| prev_year = 1995

| next_title = Indraprastham

| next_year = 1996

}}

This movie marked Vidyasagar's entry into Malayalam films.{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/filmyfriday-golanthara-vartha-mammootty-starrer-stresses-why-one-should-not-judge-a-book-by-its-cover/articleshow/89818186.cms|title=#FilmyFriday! Golanthara Vartha: Mammootty starrer stresses why one should not judge a book by its cover|first=Silpa|last=Rajan|date=25 February 2022|website=The Times of India|access-date=5 April 2022}} He won Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director for his songs.

{{track listing

| extra_column = Singer(s)

| total_length = 25:35

| all_lyrics = Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri

| all_music = Vidyasagar

| title1 = Vennila Chandana

| extra1 = K. J. Yesudas, Shabnam

| length1 = 5:14

| title2 = Pranayamanithooval

| extra2 = Sujatha Mohan

| length2 = 4:31

| title3 = Sumangalee