Cast:Mohanlal, Madhu, Innocent, Jagathy, Sidiq, Devyani, Sona, Bhawana
Music :Deepak Dev
Camera:Shaji
Director :Joshi
Banner :Ashirwad films
Velayudhan (Mohanlal), an orphan who came floating on a raft during floods, was brought up by Valiya Nambiar (Madhu), a do-gooder zamindar of village Mullankolli. He grows up to be Mullankolli Velayudhan, a local rowdy with a good heart. Prostitute Kunnil Shanta (Sona Nair), old flame Janaki (Devayani), and Kelappan’s daughter Leela (Bhavana) are the three women in this rowdy’s life. He fights for the villagers’ rights against moneylender politician Kurup (Jagathy) and Gopinathan Nambiar (Siddique), son-in-law of Valliya Nambiar who wants to fleece the villagers. The only persons whom Velayudhan respects is Valiya Nambiar and Kelappan (Innocent) who looked after him when he was a child. Kurup and Gopinathan hire goondas from outside the village to eliminate Velayudhan, but each time they fail.
Velayudhan gets trapped in a case foisted by Gopinathan, but he manages to come out of it due to his sheer grit. The film’s screenplay and story is nothing novel. The second half drags and goes melodramatic. Credit goes to director Joshi for salvaging a film with a weak storyline; Mohanlal props up the film with his acting prowess. He shows that more than dialogues and fights, you can convey lot more through expressions and body language. The rowdy you see in Naran is a new form of character not seen before. Heroines have not much to play while music is below average. Shaji’s cinematography is superb. With more minus in the film, the box office results will hinge on the charisma of Mohanlal and his larger than life image