Dutchhoek11 at 21:40, 3 March 2026

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{{short description|2003 Indian film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Balettan
| image = Balettan.jpg
| caption = VCD cover
| director = [[V. M. Vinu]]
| producer = [[M. Mani]]
| writer = [[T. A. Shahid]]
| narrator =
| starring = [[Mohanlal]] [[Devayani (actress)|Devayani]] [[Nedumudi Venu]] [[Innocent (actor)|Innocent]] [[Harisree Ashokan]] [[Jagathy Sreekumar]] [[Riyaz Khan]]
| music = [[M. Jayachandran]] (songs) C. Rajamani (score)
| cinematography = [[Anandakuttan]]
| editing = P. C. Mohanan
| studio = Aroma Movie International
| distributor = Aroma Release
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2003|08|29}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = [[Malayalam]]
| budget = {{INRConvert|1.75|c}}<ref name="BO"/>
| gross = {{INRConvert|14|c}}<ref name="mm"/>
}}

'''''Balettan''''' is a 2003 Indian [[Malayalam]]-language [[family drama]] film directed by [[V. M. Vinu]], written by [[T. A. Shahid]], and produced by [[M. Mani]]. It stars [[Mohanlal]] in the title role, along with [[Devayani (actress)|Devayani]], [[Nedumudi Venu]], [[Harisree Ashokan]], [[Riyaz Khan]], [[Innocent (actor)|Innocent]], and [[Jagathy Sreekumar]]. The film's songs were composed by [[M. Jayachandran]], while the background score was provided by C. Rajamani. The film was released on 28 August 2003. ''Balettan'' was a blockbuster at the box office and the [[List of highest-grossing Malayalam films#Highest-grossing films by year|highest grossing Malayalam movie of the year]]
and ran for more than 200 days in theatres.<ref name="BO"/> It won the [[Kerala Film Critics Association Awards]] for Best Popular Film. The film was remade in [[Telugu language|Telugu]] as ''[[Rajababu (2006 film)|Rajababu]]'' (2006).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.idlebrain.com/movie/archive/mr-rajababu.html|title=Rajababu – Telugu cinema Review – Raja Sekhar, Sri Devika|website=idlebrain.com|access-date=2019-05-10}}</ref>

== Plot ==
{{More plot|date=October 2022}}
Athaniparampil Balachandran (Balan) is an ordinary family man, living with his wife Radhika, two children, his younger brother, younger sister and parents, with his father being a locally respected retired [[postmaster]]. Balan struggles to balance his professional life amidst his multiple interests, which include [[amateur theater]] and a penchant for helping others, including strangers. Nevertheless, he leads a cheerful life, with the support of his loving family, and is a respected figure locally, earning the name Balettan (Balan, the elder brother).

However, his [[good samaritan|good samaritanism]], amateur interests and carelessness leads to circumstances that leave him deep in debt and he even gets arrested for cheating on false charges. His father bails him out of the problems with his [[Pension fund|pension savings]], and expects Balan to become more responsible towards his family.

One day, an unexpected [[cardiac arrest]] leaves Balan's father in the hospital, and right before his death, he confides to Balan about having another wife and daughter secretly, and asks him to take care of them, without letting the rest of his family or villagers know about the matter.

After his father's death, Balan tries to realign his life between the two families and struggles with it. His family starts suspecting him of having an affair, as he is spotted with his half-sister. Amid the chaos, a stranger named Bhadran comes into Balan's life with sinister intentions, and blackmails him, with an eye on his half-sister. The rest of the story tells how Balan manages to solve his problems, including Bhadran's threats and getting his second family accepted in the society.

== Cast ==
{{colbegin}}
* [[Mohanlal]] as Athaniparambil Balachandran Menon (Balettan), the film protagonist and a good samaritan
* [[Devayani (actress)|Devayani]] as Radhika, Balachandran's wife
* [[Nedumudi Venu]] as Gopalan Menon, Balachandran's father(Mookambika Star)
* [[Sudha (Telugu actress)|Sudha]] as Lekshmi, Balachandran's mother
* [[Sudheesh]] as Sudheendran Menon , Balachandran's younger brother
* [[Lakshana (actress)|Lakshana]] as Nithya, Balachandran's younger sister
* [[Riyaz Khan]] as Bhadran, the main antagonist who ruins Balan’s life and constantly harassed Balan
* [[Jagathy Sreekumar]] as K. K. Pisharadi
* [[Harisree Ashokan]] as Manikandan
* [[Nithya Das]] as Devaki, Balachandran's younger half-sister
* [[Innocent (actor)|Innocent]] as Achuthan / Achumama
* [[Indrans]] as Koya
* [[Nandu (Malayalam actor)|Nandu]] as Sukumaran
* [[Kalasala Babu]] as Raghavan, Radhika's father
* [[Bhavani (actress)|Bhavani]] as Sreedevi, Balachandran's father's second wife
* Salu Kuttanadu as Neelandan
* Vimal Raj as Basheer
* [[Gopika Anil]] as Vidya, elder daughter of Balachandran
* Keerthana Anil as Aarya, younger daughter of Balachandran
* [[Kalabhavan Mani]] as Musthafa ([[cameo appearance]])
{{colend}}

== Soundtrack ==
The film features songs were composed by [[M. Jayachandran]] with lyrics by [[Gireesh Puthenchery]]. The background score was provided by C. Rajamani.
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| all_lyrics = [[Gireesh Puthenchery]]
| all_music = [[M. Jayachandran]]

| title1 = Innale Ente
| note1 = [[Kapi (raga)]]
| extra1 = [[K. J. Yesudas]]

| title2 = Cholakkiliye
| extra2 = [[M. G. Sreekumar]]

| title3 = Karu Karu Karuthoru
| extra3 = [[Mohanlal]]

| title4 = Chilu Chilum
| extra4 = [[M. G. Sreekumar]], [[Sujatha Mohan]]

| title5 = Innale Ente
| note5 = Kapi (raga)
| extra5 = [[K. S. Chithra]]
}}

==Box office==
The film was released on 28 August 2003 during the month of [[Onam]] festival. ''Balettan'' was a commercial success at the box office,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Warrier |first=Shobha |date=2003-09-03 |title=25 years, 25 landmarks |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2003/sep/03mohan1.htm |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=[[Rediff.com]]}}</ref> becoming the highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year. Made on a budget of {{INR}}1.75 crore,<ref name="BO">{{cite web|author=Moviebuzz|title=2003- Malayalam Cinema Going Bust?|url=http://sify.com/movies/malayalam/fullstory.php?id=13344974|website=[[Sify]]|access-date=26 June 2019|date=24 December 2003|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040127103356/http://sify.com/movies/malayalam/fullstory.php?id=13344974|archive-date=27 January 2004}}</ref> the film grossed {{INR}}14 crore.<ref name="mm">{{Cite web |last=Sreedhar |first=Sajil |date=2025-04-11 |title=Mohanlal: The star who blends acting brilliance with box office might |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2025/04/11/malayalam-cinema-box-office-hits-mohanlal-films.html |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=[[Malayala Manorama|OnManorama]]}}</ref> It ran for over 100 days.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Menon |first=Vishal |date=2020-08-29 |title=A Not So Happy Coronam: A Brief History Of Malayalam Cinema’s Big Onam Clashes |url=https://www.filmcompanion.in/features/malayalam-movies-a-not-so-happy-coronam-a-brief-history-of-malayalam-cinemas-big-onam-clashes-mohanlal-mammootty |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=[[Film Companion]]}}</ref> The film gave box office success to Mohanlal after a gap of almost two years, which according to ''[[Rediff.com]]'', "helped him regain the No. 1 spot". It was also the first major box office success of director Vinu.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.rediff.com/movies/2003/nov/01south.htm|title=Dileep's stroke of luck|work=[[Rediff.com]]|date=1 November 2003}}</ref>

==Awards==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Winner
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[Kerala Film Critics Association Awards]]
|Most Popular Film
|Balettan
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-02-01 |title=Film critics' awards announced |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/02/01/stories/2004020105530400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820054715/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/02/01/stories/2004020105530400.htm |archive-date=2010-08-20 |access-date=2020-10-20 |url-status=usurped |website=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref>
|-
|Best Music Director
|M. Jayachandran
|-
|rowspan="1"|[[Asianet Film Awards]]
|[[Asianet Film Awards#Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|Mohanlal
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-13 |title=50th Kerala State Film Awards: Winners list |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/50th-kerala-state-film-awards-winners-list-6723151/ |access-date=2020-10-13 |website=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Vanitha Film Awards]]
|[[Best Actor]]
|Mohanlal
|<ref>{{Citation|title=Balettan (2003) – IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377445/awards/|language=en|access-date=2021-08-29}}</ref>
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|id=0377445}}

[[Category:2003 films]]
[[Category:2003 Malayalam-language films]]
[[Category:Indian family films]]
[[Category:Indian drama films]]
[[Category:Malayalam films remade in other languages]]
[[Category:Films shot in Thrissur]]
[[Category:Films shot in Palakkad]]
[[Category:Films shot in Ottapalam]]
[[Category:Films scored by M. Jayachandran]]
[[Category:Films directed by V. M. Vinu]]

Balettan - Revision history

Dutchhoek11 at 21:40, 3 March 2026