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2405:201:F004:9080:C436:0:BE0D:C6C2: /* Box office */

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2013}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Balettan
| image = Balettan.jpg
| caption =
| 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]] [[Kalabhavan Mani]] Gopika Anil Keerthana Anil
| music = [[M. Jayachandran]] Rajamani (Score)
| cinematography = Anandakuttan
| editing = P. C. Mohanan
| studio = Aroma Movie International
| distributor = Aroma Release
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2003|08|28}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = [[Malayalam]]
| budget = 
| gross = 
}}

'''''Balettan''''' is a 2003 Indian [[Malayalam]]-language [[family drama]] film directed by [[V. M. Vinu]] and written by [[T. A. Shahid]]. It stars [[Mohanlal]], [[Devayani (actress)|Devayani]], [[Harisree Ashokan]], [[Riyaz Khan]], [[Nedumudi Venu]], and [[Jagathy Sreekumar]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Family entertainer |url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=6297 |work=[[Screen Weekly]] |date=10 October 2003 |access-date=2009-04-01 }}</ref> The film was released on 28 August 2003. It won the [[Kerala Film Critics Association Awards]] for the Best Popular Film of the year. ''Balettan'' was the highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year at the box office.<ref name="BO"/><ref name=BO1/> The film was remade in Telugu as ''Rajababu'' with [[Rajasekhar (actor)|Rajasekhar]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.idlebrain.com/movie/archive/mr-rajababu.html|title=Rajababu - Telugu cinema Review - Raja Sekhar, Sri Devika|website=www.idlebrain.com|access-date=2019-05-10}}</ref>

== Plot ==
Athaniparampil Balachandran (Balan) is an ordinary family man, living with his wife Radhika, two children, his younger brother and father, a locally respected retired postmaster. Balan struggles to balance his professional life amidst his multiple interests, which includes amateur theater and a penchant for helping others, including strangers. Nevertheless, he leads a cheerful life, with the support of his loving family, and has earned the status of being a major figure in the local society, earning the pet name "Balettan" (Balan the elder brother).

However, his good-samaritanism, amateur interests and carelessness leads to circumstances that leave him deep in debt and he even gets arrested for cheating. His father bails him out of the problems with his pension savings, and expects Balan to become more responsible towards his family. An unexpected cardiac arrest leaves Balan's father in the hospital, and right before his death, he confides in Balan about having another wife and daughter, and asks him to take care of them, without letting the rest of his accepted family or villagers knowing about the matter.

After his father's death, Balachandran tries to realign his life between the two families and struggles in 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 (Balettan)
* [[Devayani (actress)|Devayani]] as Radhika, Balachandran's wife
* [[Nedumudi Venu]] as Balachandran's father
* [[Sudha (Telugu actress) |Sudha]] as Balachandran's mother
* [[Sudheesh]] as Sudhi, Balachandran's younger brother
* [[Riyaz Khan]] as Bhadran
* [[Jagathy Sreekumar]] as K. K. Pisharadi
* [[Harisree Ashokan]] as Manikandan
* [[Nithya Das]] as Devaki
* [[Innocent (actor)|Innocent]] as Achumama
* [[Kalabhavan Mani]] as Musthafa (cameo appearance)
* [[Indrans]] as Koya
* [[Nandhu]] as Sukumaran
* [[Kalasala Babu]] as Radhika's father
* [[Bhavani]] as Balachandran's father's second wife
* Salu Kuttanadu as Neelandan
* Vimal Raj as Basheer
* [[Gopika Anil]] as elder daughter
* Keerthana Anil as younger daughter
{{colend}}

== Soundtrack ==
The film features songs composed by [[M. Jayachandran]] with lyrics by [[Gireesh Puthenchery]].

The title track "Cholakkiliyae (Balettaa...)" is allegedly inspired by [[Boney M]]'s "[[Rasputin]]"
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Artist(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. ''Balettan'' was a commercial success at the box office and the film gave box office success to leading actor [[Mohanlal]] after the gap of the two years,<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> and became the highest grossing Malayalam film of the year.<ref name="BO">{{cite web|author=Moviebuzz|title=2003- Malayalam Cinema Going Bust?|url=http://sify.com/movies/malayalam/fullstory.php?id=13344974|publisher=[[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><ref name=BO1>{{cite news|last=C.|first=Maya|title=Mohanlal pulls it off|url=http://www.thehindu.com/lf/2003/09/12/stories/2003091201240200.htm|access-date=22 November 2016|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=12 September 2003}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name=bo2>{{cite news|last=G.|first=Krishnakumar|title=Scripting new success stories |url=https://www.thehindu.com/lf/2004/01/20/stories/2004012000520200.htm|access-date=29 May 2019|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=20 January 2004}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Awards==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! 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 |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>

|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:2003 films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:2000s Malayalam-language films]]
[[Category:Indian family films]]
[[Category:Malayalam films remade in other languages]]
[[Category:Films directed by V. M. Vinu]]

Balettan - Revision history

Dutchhoek11: small fix

2405:201:F004:9080:C436:0:BE0D:C6C2: /* Box office */