Ramaleela

{{Infobox film

| name = Ramaleela

| image = Ramaleela film poster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Arun Gopy

| producer = Tomichan Mulakuppadam

| writer = Sachy

| story =

| starring = Dileep
Mukesh
Radhika
Prayaga Martin
Kalabhavan Shajon
Vijayaraghavan
Siddique

| music = Gopi Sundar

| cinematography = Shaji Kumar

| editing = Vivek Harshan

| studio = Mulakuppadam Films

| distributor = Mulakuppadam Release

| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2017|9|28|India}}

| runtime = 158 minutes{{Cite web |last= |title=Ramaleela |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/ramaleela-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zote4mjk |access-date=11 October 2023 |website=British Board of Film Classification |language=en}}

| country = India

| language = Malayalam

| budget = {{Estimation}} ₹14 crore{{cite news|title=Dileep's 'Ramaleela' to be remade in Telugu by Kalyan Ram?|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/dileeps-ramaleela-be-remade-telugu-kalyan-ram-72821?amp|work=The News Minute|date=8 December 2017}}

| gross = {{estimation}} {{INR}}55 crore

}}

Ramaleela ({{translation|Raman's play}}) is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language political thriller film written by Sachy and directed by debutant Arun Gopy. It stars Dileep, Radhika, Prayaga Martin, Mukesh, Kalabhavan Shajon, Vijayaraghavan and Siddique. The film is produced and distributed by Tomichan Mulakuppadam under Mulakuppadam Films.

Ramaleela was released in India on 28 September 2017.[https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2017/sep/13/dileep-starrer-ramaleela-to-hit-the-screens-on-september-28-1656616.html "Dileep starrer Ramaleela to hit the screens on 28 September"]. The New Indian Express. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017. and received positive reviews from critics. The film was 2017 year of highest-grossing Malayalam film.

Plot

Advocate Ramanunni is an MLA of Ayikkara in Palakkad District who gets expelled from his political communist party, the CDP for assaulting the District Secretary Ambadi Mohanan and joins the rival secularist party, the NSP. Ramanunni, who has been receiving threats from CDP activists, decides to take a gun license for self-protection and this becomes a controversy in the news. Ramanunni's mother Ragini disapproves of his decision to join the NSP as they come from a communist-oriented family and his father Raghavan, a CDP activist who is believed to have been martyred by NSP activists. The NSP decides to appoint Ramanunni as their candidate in the upcoming election.

The decision is opposed by Udayabhanu, a veteran politician of the NSP but this is overlooked by the others. Ramanunni, along with his sidekick Thomas Chacko alias TC, the NSP Youth Wing Secretary, attend an interview where Mohanan assaults Ramanunni. As the promotions for the elections begin, the CDP announces their candidate as Ragini, who they think is the only person who can defeat Ramanunni. While campaigning at a football match, Mohanan is shot dead and Ramanunni and TC become the prime suspects. The Investigation Officer, Paulson Devassy, who is also present at the assassination point, finds out that Ramanunni's gun is missing a bullet. Ballistics match the bullet that killed Mohanan with the bullets in Ramanunni's gun, and shows that the gun must have been fired from the row where Ramanunni and TC were sitting.

Ramanunni and TC escape police custody and hide in the house of V.G. Madhavan, a journalist and a good friend of Ramanunni. Madhavan's daughter Helena decides to help them. Now in disguise, they leave for a resort on an island off the coast of Goa. Unknown to Ramanunni and TC, Helena televises all their actions through hidden cameras under the name of 'Hot Pursuit' in order to find the real culprit. With Ramanunni gone, the NSP appoints Sumesh Venjara, a disliked and weak politician as their new candidate. In Goa, Ramanunni reveals that it was Ambadi Mohanan and Udayabhanu who were behind his father's death and not the NSP activists.

As the videos get televised, Paulson Devassy gathers evidence of Mohanan's death that leads to Udayabhanu; especially a can of Red Bull that was used as a suppressor since Udayabhanu was very fond of the drink. Police later arrests him. It is revealed that televising Ramanunni's escape was his and Helena's plan to prove his innocence. Ramanunni goes on to win the election as an independent candidate. In a major twist, it turns out that it was actually Ramanunni who had assassinated Ambadi Mohanan with the help of a fellow CDP comrade Chandran. He accused Udayabhanu because of his role in his father's death. He explains to his mother that it was his duty to remove all obstacles from the CDP's path. His mother salutes Ramanunni, and he does the same back.

Cast

Dileep as Adv. K.R. Ramanunni MLA
Mukesh as DYSP Paulson Devassy
Radhika Sarathkumar as Ragini Raghavan, Ramanunni's mother
Prayaga Martin as Helena Madhavan, Ramanunni's love interest
Kalabhavan Shajohn as Thomas Chacko (TC), Ramanunni's friend
Siddique as Udayabhanu
Vijayaraghavan as Saghavu Ambadi Mohanan, The main antagonist
Suresh Krishna as Theekuni Chandran
Renji Panicker as V.G. Madhavan
Lena as TV reporter Olga John
Ashokan as Commissioner Balachandran IPS
Saikumar as Chief Minister P. Sugathan
G. Suresh Kumar as Sagar Nagambadam
Sadiq as Saghavu Rajan
Kalabhavan Shaju as Prakashan
Anil Murali as Sudhi, Udayabhanu's Assistant
Ameer Niyas as CI Deepak
Salim Kumar as Sumesh Venjara
Prasanth Alexander as Satheesan Party worker
Sundar Pandian as Party worker
Sreejith Ravi as Trainer Siby Chacko
Chali Pala as SI Soman
Manju Satheesh as Sumithra CDP Member
Tomichan Mulakuppadam as Himself (Cameo Appearance)
Romin Anthony as Ajay
Abhishek Raveendran
Diya Parveen as Journalist
Murali as Sakhavu Raghavan, Ramanunni's father (Photo Archive)
Vinod Kedamangalam as Driver Pushpan

Production

The film is produced and distributed by Tomichan Mulakuppadam under the production company Mulakuppadam Films.[http://www.hindustantimes.com/regional-movies/dileep-in-jail-his-new-film-ramaleela-may-hit-the-screens-after-onam/story-ZmhxIKyaVb0kwziG0NKshP.html "Dileep in jail, his new film Ramaleela may hit the screens after Onam"]. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 7 September 2017. It was made with a budget of {{INR}}14 crore. Gopi Sundar composed the music. Through Ramaleela, Radhika returned to act in Malayalam cinema after a gap of 23 years. Principal photography began on 9 December 2016 in Kochi, Kerala. Filming also held at Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, and in Maldives .{{cite news|last=Sidhardhan|first=Sanjith|title=Prayaga, Radhika join Dileep in a political thriller|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/Prayaga-Radhika-join-Dileep-in-a-political-thriller/articleshow/55771994.cms|access-date=31 December 2017|work=The Times of India|date=4 December 2016}}{{cite news|title=രാമലീല തുടങ്ങി|url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/print-edition/chitrabhumi/-malayalam-news-1.1566605|access-date=31 December 2017|work=Mathrubhumi|date=9 December 2016|language=ml}}

Release

Ramaleela{{'s}} release was delayed on account of actor Dileep's arrest for conspiracy to kidnap and attempt to rape of actress Bhavana.Neethu Reghukumar (23 September 2017). [http://www.news18.com/news/india/actor-dileeps-wife-appeals-against-boycott-call-for-his-film-ramleela-1526161.html "Actor Dileep's Ex-wife Appeals Against Boycott Call for his Film 'Ramleela'"]. CNN-News 18. Retrieved 18 October 2017. Despite calls for a boycott, the film released in India on 28 September 2017.P. K. Ajith Kumar (8 October 2017). [http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/despite-delay-in-release-dileep-starrer-ramaleela-proves-a-money-spinner/article19822926.ece "Despite delay in release, Dileep-starrer ‘Ramaleela’ proves a money spinner"]. The Hindu. Retrieved 18 October 2017 It released across 129 screens in Kerala.{{cite news|last1=James|first1=Anu|title=These factors helped Dileep's Ramaleela at Kerala box office even after boycott campaign!|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/these-factors-helped-dileeps-ramaleela-kerala-box-office-even-after-boycott-campaign-743784|access-date=12 October 2017|work=International Business Times|date=29 September 2017}}

=Box office=

The film collected {{INR}}55 crore at the box office.{{cite news|last=Soman|first=Deepa|title=Dileep's 'Ramaleela' enters 50 crores club|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/dileeps-ramaleela-enters-50-crores-club/articleshow/61564289.cms?|access-date=31 December 2017|work=The Times of India|date=9 November 2017}} The film was a major commercial success and was the highest grossing Malayalam movie of the year.