| Aavanazhi | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | I. V. Sasi |
| Produced by | Sajan |
| Written by | T. Damodaran |
| Starring | Mammootty Geetha Sukumaran Janardanan Seema Nalini |
| Music by | Shyam |
| Cinematography | Jayaram V. |
| Editing by | K. Narayanan |
| Studio | Saj Productions |
| Release date(s) | 1986 |
| Running time | 152 mins |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Aavanazhi (Malayalam: ആവനാഴി) is a 1986 Malayalam action film. Directed by I. V. Sasi, based on the script written by T. Damodaran,Aavanazhi was a huge hit at the box office. Appearing Mammootty in the lad role of Balram, a police inspector, this film deals with social and political issues of that time. Also starring along with Mammootty in lead roles are Geetha, Seema, Sukumaran, Captain Raju, Janardanan, Jagannatha Varma, Innocent, Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair, Sreenivasan and Sankaradi. The big success of Aavanazhi led to its remake in Tamil as Kadamai Kanniyam Kattupaadu and in Hindi as Satyamev Jayate. Later I.V. Sasi brought out two more sequels to this film -- Inspector Balram in 1991 and Balram vs. Taradas in 2006.
Balram(Mammootty), popularly known as Karadi (Bear) is an honest Circle Inspector. Frustrated in his life after several personal setbacks, including a failed affair of the heart, Balram is has turned to drinking and womanizing. Balram is assigned to nab Satyaraj (Captain Raju), who evaded the clutches of the police after murdering Chackochan (Paravoor Bharathan), a contractor. Balram successfully arrests him, but in court, Satyaraj is represented by Advocate Jayachandran (Sukumaran). Satyraj is acquitted by court, but Balram decides to frame in several other criminal charges pending against him. Usha (Nalini), Balram's ex-lover is now married to Jayachandran, who is now involved in several illegal business ventures. Balram falls in love with Seetha (Geetha), a prostitute, whom he decides to marry. Meanwhile Radha (Seema), a young lady is determined to avenge herself on Balram, who she believes to have killed her brother while in police custody. But in reality, it was a handwork of Satyaraj, on instruction from Vincent (Janardanan). Falsely implicated, Balram had been suspended from police for a couple of years, but has been reinstated. Though Seetha tried to convince Radha of the truth, she is not ready to accept it. In order 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 and his "outside the law" dealing with him forms the rest of the story.